sueddeutsche.de
Millions of Deutsche Mark Still Exchanged, Billions Remain Missing
In 2024, over 9 million Deutsche Mark were exchanged for Euros in North Rhine-Westphalia, down from 2023, while a massive 12.2 billion Deutsche Mark remain outstanding, mostly due to international circulation according to the Bundesbank.
- What is the significance of the continued exchange of Deutsche Mark for Euros, and what are the immediate implications?
- In 2024, over 9 million Deutsche Mark (DM) were exchanged for over 4.6 million Euros in North Rhine-Westphalia alone, a decrease from 10.6 million DM in 2023. This represents 10,043 submissions, averaging almost 900 DM per submission, exceeding the national average of 542 DM. Nationwide, over 53 million DM were exchanged, down from 58 million in 2023.
- What are the potential long-term implications of the outstanding Deutsche Mark, and what strategies could improve the return rate?
- The continued return of DM, albeit at a reduced rate, suggests a long tail effect of the currency's circulation. The significant amount of missing DM indicates the challenges of completely retiring a currency, particularly one with international use. Future trends might show a gradual decrease in returns as remaining DM are lost or forgotten.
- What factors contribute to the substantial amount of unreturned Deutsche Mark, and what is the breakdown of banknotes versus coins?
- Despite the decrease in DM exchanges, approximately 12.2 billion DM remain unreturned, comprising nearly 163 million banknotes and over 23 billion coins. The Bundesbank attributes some of this to DM's international circulation, suggesting significant amounts remain abroad. This highlights the enduring presence of the DM despite the Euro's adoption.
Cognitive Concepts
Framing Bias
The framing is largely neutral, presenting factual data on the exchange of D-Marks for Euros. The headline could be considered slightly sensationalist by highlighting the large amount of missing currency, which might disproportionately emphasize the 'missing' aspect rather than the ongoing exchange process. The focus is on the sheer number of D-Marks remaining, which could be seen as potentially alarmist if not balanced with context regarding the overall volume of D-Marks that were in circulation originally.
Bias by Omission
The article focuses on the amount of D-Mark exchanged in 2024, comparing it to the previous year and providing overall national figures. However, it omits any discussion of the economic or social implications of this ongoing exchange. The reasons why people are still exchanging D-Mark are hinted at (collecting, unawareness), but not explored in depth. The article also doesn't mention any potential challenges or costs associated with the ongoing process of exchanging the currency for the Bundesbank.