Czech banks are short of coins
As reported by the portal Vinegret.cz, to give an idea of the number of coins involved in cash circulation, the country's central bank provided the following example: 24 trains with 20 full carriages, each weighing 20 tons. Meanwhile, residents are hoarding about two such trains.
"The ČNB calls on the public, companies, non-profit organizations and government agencies not to hoard coins, but rather to spend them. We remind you that up to 100 coins of the same denomination can be exchanged for banknotes free of charge at any bank branch or post office with a cash desk," said Josef Ducháček, director of the central bank's payment means department.
The regulator cites economic growth and an increase in the number of tourists as the reason for this unusual problem. With rising wages, people have started piggy banks and more often leave small change out of their wallets, while travelers simply take Czech crowns home as souvenirs. Typically, the bank issues 50-60 million new coins per year, but this year the number has already exceeded 100 million.
Meanwhile, minting one carriage of coins with a total face value of 32 million crowns costs the budget 5.1 million crowns. They are minted by the Czech Mint (Česká mincovna), located in the city of Jablonec nad Nisou.