The euro replaced the D-Mark on paper on 1 January 1999. Germans kept paying with D-Mark notes and coins for three more years. From 17 December 2001, banks sold euro starter kits: a bag of euro coins worth 10.23 euros for 20 D-Marks. Germany provided 53.5 million of them. ZDF summed up the aim: Vertrautheit schaffen, Wechselgeld sichern und die Umstellung an den Kassen beschleunigen, to create familiarity, make sure there was change, and speed up the switch at the checkouts. The D-Mark remained legal tender until 31 December 2001, and large parts of retail and the banks voluntarily accepted it until 28 February 2002.