DECO PROteste consumer protection organisation has prepared a set of nine questions and answers to help clarify any doubts about the new coins.


1. Is the new €5 coin worth the same as the €5 note?

"Yes, the new five-euro coins that will enter circulation by the end of the year have a face value of five euros, which means they are worth as much as five-euro notes."


2. What do I do if they pay me with a €5 coin?

"If you receive a payment or change with the new coins, you can use them, as long as they are accepted as a means of payment. The value of these coins is the same as that of current coins and notes."


3. How do I know it's not a fake?

"The characteristics of each of these collector coins are available on the Banco de Portugal website. To detect a counterfeit coin, check the various security features of the coin; do not just rely on one of them. Pay special attention to the reliefs, edges and magnetic properties of some coins."


4. Can I refuse payment with one of these currencies?

"Economic operators (supermarkets or other establishments, for example) cannot refuse collector coins, but the individual consumer is not obliged to accept them. Banco de Portugal suggests that, if you do not wish to accept the coins, politely ask to receive the same amount in another way."


5. Can you refuse my payment with one of these currencies?

"As long as it is authorised in Portugal, as is the case with the new five-euro coin, no note or coin can be refused, whatever its nature. Despite this, no one is obliged to receive, in a single payment, more than 50 coins."


6. Can I use commemorative coins in automatic payment machines?

"Automatic payment machines are calibrated according to banknotes and coins in current use. Taking into account that there are no five-euro and 7.5-euro coins in current use, coins commemorating these denominations should not be able to be used in the machines. The commemorative two-euro coins, whose characteristics are very similar to those of current two-euro coins, should not cause problems at this level."


7. Can new currencies be used to pay in other countries?

"Coins issued for numismatic or collection purposes, as is the case, are only authorised in Portugal, and are therefore not mandatory for acceptance abroad."

8. Can you ask for more than face value for this coin?

"Although the monetary value of these collector coins is fixed at 5 euros and 7.5 euros, the Bank of Portugal determines that, depending on the different types of finishing, the possible use of noble metals, or the packaging, the coins of the collection can be sold at face value or higher."

9. Are there going to be no more €5 notes?

"It is not planned for five euro notes to no longer be in circulation. As it is a collector's coin, the new five euro coin will exist at the same time as the note with the same value."