Look at these two price tags: €1.20 and €1.02.

They look almost the same. Are they the same amount of money? If not, which one is bigger, and how do you know?

Watch four amounts made on the coin-counter, each already built with euro coins and notes. Read each one aloud and notice how the cent are grouped.

The next one is one cent short of ten. Watch how close it gets to €10 without reaching it.

This last one has coins in almost every column. Read it carefully.

Today we build these amounts on the coin-counter, one at a time: €2.35, then €3.05, then €6.40, then €7.99. One pupil taps the coins onto the tray at the board. Everyone else says the cent part aloud first, then watches the total and agrees or corrects before the tap.

The €3.05 one catches people out because the cent part is only five cent, so say its cent part aloud together before anyone taps.

Today we make each target amount on the coin-counter, one at a time: €5.05, then €6.40, then €9.99. For the last round we make €9.99 again, but this time using the fewest coins and notes we can.

To use the fewest pieces, start with the biggest note or coin that fits, then fill down to the smaller ones.