Withdrawal and reimbursement of euro coins unfit for circulation
Article 8
1. Member States shall withdraw from circulation euro coins unfit for circulation. 2. Member States shall reimburse or replace euro coins that have become unfit due to long circulation or accident or that have been rejected during the authentication procedure for any other reason. Member States may refuse reimbursement of euro coins unfit for circulation which have been altered either deliberately or by a process that could be reasonably expected to have the effect of altering them, notwithstanding reimbursement of coins collected for charitable purposes, such as ‘fountain coins’. 3. Member States shall ensure that after withdrawal, euro coins unfit for circulation are destroyed by physical and permanent deformation, so that those coins cannot be put back into circulation or be submitted for reimbursement.