Police say the raiders got away with 1.2m euros ($1.08m) and 300,00 Deutschmarks ($139,000) after holding up a security van in the central German town of Giessen.

One of the van's two drivers is thought to have been involved in the crime.

The money was being delivered as part of a massive operation which began this week to supply around 600bn euros to banks and shops across the 12 eurozone countries.

The final euro designs were only revealed last week because of concerns counterfeiters would try to copy the new currency, which is due to be introduced on 1 January, 2002.

Securicor marketing director Jan Hendrik Pietsch told Reuters news agency the 35-year-old driver and an accomplice tied up the van's co-driver before making off with the haul.

Wide range of notes

Investigators said all seven kinds of denominations, from five to 500 euros, were on the van.