1. Pull out from towers in business district to shoppers in Zeil street 2. Shoppers going into Karstadt shopping centre 3. Shoppers looking at clothes 4. Price sign in euros with price in deutschemarks written much smaller underneath 5. Sign for porcelain in euros 6. Cashier at till 7. Woman hands over DMs 8. Close up money in till 9. Cashier at till 10. SOUNDBITE (German) Female shopper: "One always starts with something new. One has to live with it unfortunately." 11. SOUNDBITE (German) Male shopper: "I find it good. We have been waiting years for the euro to come and now it is time. I think we are all happy about it." 12. SOUNDBITE (German) Female shopper: "I feel deep sadness. I don't like what has happened to the Deutsche mark. I have worries that the whole system won't work. I am sorry and I am sad." 13. Wide shot shoppers 14. Price sign in euros with deutschemarks underneath pullout to shirts 15. Shot from escalator coming down onto floor of shop 16. Pullout from euro display on side of buildings STORYLINE: For the last time, Europeans in 12 countries on Monday used only their old familiar money to carry out every day transactions ahead of the midnight arrival of the euro. In Frankfurt, people crowded into shopping centres to browse through bargains in the post-Christmas sales. Signs of the impending changeover were visible everywhere. Prices were all in euros with smaller writing indicating the cost in deutschemarks. There was some sadness at the demise of the Deutsche mark but others were looking forward to the new currency. European Central Bank and European Commission officials have staked their hopes for a rapid, hassle-free transition on two key measures. First, most of the euro zone's 170-thousand automatic teller machines should give only euros on New Year's Day or a day or two after. And second, most merchants will be giving change only in euros, under agreements between governments and major retail associations. That should take out most of the old currency out of the economy within two weeks, if all goes as planned, though the old cash can still be used for up to two months depending on the country. National central banks will exchange the old money for years afterward. But the European Central Bank predicts most transactions should be all in euros by January 15, 2002. You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/ade59605b5e0dddbb4db2ab3f8550067 Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork

• published: 21 Jul 2015
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