People are being asked to be on the lookout for fake €2 coins.

It comes after Gardaí in Raheny found hundreds of the coins during searches in the area at the end of July.

Gardaí said people should be on the lookout for coins that:

• Are of poor quality image detail.
• Have a different colour ring and/or core.
• Have missing edge lettering.
• Have incorrect spelling or a different font.
• Are different sizes.
• Have a different thickness or diameter.
• Have a different sized ring or core.
• Are of a different weight.

At times a magnifying glass may be required to detect the differences.

You can also prove a coin is counterfeit by bending it or testing it with a magnet. A genuine €2 coin should be slightly magnetic but able to shake off the magnet with ease.

If you believe you have a counterfeit coin you are obliged to submit it to Gardaí, a financial institution or the Central Bank.

Can you tell the real from the fake in this pic?

Gardaí in Raheny have uncovered hundreds of fake €2 coins worth an estimated €2920 and one persons been charged.

Officers are appealing to people to watch for coins with odd sizing, weight or lettering that could be fake pic.twitter.com/S8tvNeP8Gs

— Mairéad Cleary (@maireadcleary7) August 3, 2022

In all, the coins discovered in Raheny had an apparent face value of €2,920.

Gardaí said it is Ireland’s first-ever large-scale seizure of counterfeit coins.

Counterfeit coins seized in Raheny. Image: Mairéad Cleary/Newstalk

One person was charged in connection with the Raheny operation and brought before the courts last month.

Meanwhile, assets to the value of €73,986.62 have been frozen in bank accounts.

The Central Bank provides advice and information on identifying counterfeit currency on its website.