Burying money is the main reason why, over the last decade, the Bank of Portugal has had to replace 317,000 damaged banknotes worth around €13.8 million that have been handed in by people who want to recover their value.
"The notes are ruined by humidity and most of them are ruined by people burying the notes in the ground. And then the humidity of the earth plus insects cause the banknote to deteriorate," José Luís Ferreira, coordinator of Banco de Portugal's cash operational area, told Euronews.
