# how do i get a $250 million (Zimbabwean dollar) bill **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 24, 2008, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-a-250-million-zimbabwean-dollar-bill/457645 "2008-07-24T19:11:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![drhess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/94ad74/32.png) [@drhess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drhess)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-a-250-million-zimbabwean-dollar-bill/457645/1 "2008-07-24T19:11:10Z")
I want one of these. Is there a way to get one (or higher denomination)? > ---
**Author:** ![TJVM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b38774/32.png) [@TJVM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TJVM)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-a-250-million-zimbabwean-dollar-bill/457645/2 "2008-07-24T19:14:42Z")
You might be able to get one from [this guy](http://search.stores.ebay.com/Roberts-World-Money-Store-and-More_zimbabwe_W0QQfciZQ2d1QQfclZ4QQfsnZRobertQ27sQ20WorldQ20MoneyQ20StoreQ20andQ20MoreQQfsooZ1QQfsopZ1QQsaselZ275565986QQsofpZ0). ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-a-250-million-zimbabwean-dollar-bill/457645/3 "2008-07-24T19:15:57Z")
Ebay has some Zimbabwean currency at the moment, not the exact one that you want but I bet they’ll show up soon. ---
**Author:** ![Driver8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5a626/32.png) [@Driver8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Driver8)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-a-250-million-zimbabwean-dollar-bill/457645/4 "2008-07-24T19:48:37Z")
The [bank note](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:250m-zwd.jpg) you are requesting has “on or before 31st December 2008” printed on it. I’ve never seen that before on a bank note. Why is it there? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-a-250-million-zimbabwean-dollar-bill/457645/5 "2008-07-24T19:52:12Z")
[QUOTE=Driver8] The [bank note](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:250m-zwd.jpg) you are requesting has “on or before 31st December 2008” printed on it. I’ve never seen that before on a bank note. Why is it there? [/QUOTE] Hyperinflation. The government has to print new bills, with new denominations, many times a year in order to keep up with it. ---
**Author:** ![Mindfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindfield/32/19759_2.png) [@Mindfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mindfield)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-a-250-million-zimbabwean-dollar-bill/457645/6 "2008-07-24T20:17:55Z")
[QUOTE=Driver8] The [bank note](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:250m-zwd.jpg) you are requesting has “on or before 31st December 2008” printed on it. I’ve never seen that before on a bank note. Why is it there? [/QUOTE] As was said, hyperinflation. Last I checked, Zimbabwe’s most recent inflation rate exceeded 10,000,000% year-on-year in May, and analysts say it could exceed 40,000,000% for July, so that 250,000,000 ZWD note is worth a tiny fraction of what it was at its “best before” date. Now, a 1993 [500,000,000,000 dinar note](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/97/500000000000_dinars.jpg), _that_ would be something. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-a-250-million-zimbabwean-dollar-bill/457645/7 "2008-07-24T21:08:15Z")
If anyone here can do it, it would be **samclem**. ETA: Why stop at such a small amount? That wiki article indicates Z$425,276,250,000 to one US dollar. Z$250,000 isn’t worth the postage stamp it would take to mail it. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-a-250-million-zimbabwean-dollar-bill/457645/8 "2008-07-24T21:11:11Z")
[QUOTE=Mindfield] Now, a 1993 [500,000,000,000 dinar note](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/97/500000000000_dinars.jpg), _that_ would be something. 🙂 [/QUOTE] I’ll see your dinars and raise you [100,000,000,000,000,000,000](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:HUP_100MB_1946_obverse.jpg) pengő. Course, the bill doesn’t have all those zeroes, and is simply labeled as 100 million billion (US trillion) pengő. ---
**Author:** ![Scuba\_Ben](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/278dde/32.png) [@Scuba\_Ben](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scuba_Ben)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-a-250-million-zimbabwean-dollar-bill/457645/9 "2008-07-24T21:59:18Z")
[QUOTE=gotpasswords] ETA: Why stop at such a small amount? That wiki article indicates Z$425,276,250,000 to one US dollar. Z$250,000 isn’t worth the postage stamp it would take to mail it. :eek: [/QUOTE] Dang, where can I get a 1 trillion Z$ note? (By the time it arrives it’ll probably be worth USD 1…) ETA: It seems to me that at face amounts of 1 million and more, currency notes ought to use scientific notation. ---
**Author:** ![Alive\_At\_Both\_Ends](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Alive\_At\_Both\_Ends](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alive_At_Both_Ends)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-a-250-million-zimbabwean-dollar-bill/457645/10 "2008-07-24T22:06:29Z")
[QUOTE=Mr. Excellent] Hyperinflation. The government has to print new bills, with new denominations, many times a year in order to keep up with it. [/QUOTE] Sorry, I still don’t get it. Why print an expiry date on a note that’ll be worthless anyway long before that date arrives? It’d only make sense if prices were going _down_, not up. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_Bowe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df788c/32.png) [@Doug\_Bowe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_Bowe)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-a-250-million-zimbabwean-dollar-bill/457645/11 "2008-07-24T22:19:43Z")
[http://www.gmanews.tv/story/108846/Zimbabwe-inflation-Govt-unveils-100-B-dollar-note](http://www.gmanews.tv/story/108846/Zimbabwe-inflation-Govt-unveils-100-B-dollar-note) The Ebay markup is interesting. They’re listing the note for around $80 for a bill that might buy one loaf of bread. Unless you’re an economics teacher who wants to use this note to demonstrate inflation, it doesn’t seem a very good buy. ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2008, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-a-250-million-zimbabwean-dollar-bill/457645/12 "2008-07-25T01:38:37Z")
[QUOTE=pulykamell] I’ll see your dinars and raise you [100,000,000,000,000,000,000](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:HUP_100MB_1946_obverse.jpg) pengő. Course, the bill doesn’t have all those zeroes, and is simply labeled as 100 million billion (US trillion) pengő. [/QUOTE] I’ll see that and show you the largest bill ever printed, though not issued: [One Milliard](http://aes.iupui.edu/rwise/banknotes/hungary/HungaryP137-1milliardBpengo-1946_f-donated.jpg) [Pengo](http://aes.iupui.edu/rwise/banknotes/hungary/HungaryP137-1milliardBpengo-1946_b-donated.jpg). For the record, a milliard is 10[sup]21[/sup], or one sextillion. ---
**Author:** ![Mindfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindfield/32/19759_2.png) [@Mindfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mindfield)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2008, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-a-250-million-zimbabwean-dollar-bill/457645/13 "2008-07-25T02:00:05Z")
[QUOTE=pulykamell] I’ll see your dinars and raise you [100,000,000,000,000,000,000](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:HUP_100MB_1946_obverse.jpg) pengő. Course, the bill doesn’t have all those zeroes, and is simply labeled as 100 million billion (US trillion) pengő. [/QUOTE] > [@Airman Doors](#): > > I’ll see that and show you the largest bill ever printed, though not issued: One Milliard Pengo. > > For the record, a milliard is 1021, or one sextillion. :eek: Honestly, what’s the use at that point? If your currency has devalued to such a mind-swimmingly absurd degree, then good show, you really, _really_ tried – really, an absolutely herculean effort, bravo and all that – but your currency went light speed past pining for the fjords back around the point where you could have saved yourself a million or two if you’d just been quicker to the register, so perhaps it’s about time you adopted someone else’s currency and called it a day, yeah? ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2008, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-a-250-million-zimbabwean-dollar-bill/457645/14 "2008-07-25T02:14:26Z")
My friend was about to ask about getting one in our local Bureau De Change. He heard the attendant tell the customer in front of him, “no, we don’t stock Zimbabwean dollars”. There’s something I find vaguely distasteful about getting one for novelty purposes. It’s nearly like a form of schadenfreude. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2008, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-a-250-million-zimbabwean-dollar-bill/457645/15 "2008-07-25T02:36:03Z")
[QUOTE=Airman Doors, USAF] I’ll see that and show you the largest bill ever printed, though not issued: [One Milliard](http://aes.iupui.edu/rwise/banknotes/hungary/HungaryP137-1milliardBpengo-1946_f-donated.jpg) [Pengo](http://aes.iupui.edu/rwise/banknotes/hungary/HungaryP137-1milliardBpengo-1946_b-donated.jpg). For the record, a milliard is 10[sup]21[/sup], or one sextillion. [/QUOTE] That’s incorrect. A milliard is a US billion (in fact, “milliard” is also used in English, meaning 10^9.) That note is 1 milliard B.-pengo, or 1 millard billion-pengo, or, in US usage, one billion trillion pengo, which is 10^21, or one sextillion, pengo. ---
**Author:** ![Alive\_At\_Both\_Ends](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Alive\_At\_Both\_Ends](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alive_At_Both_Ends)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2008, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-a-250-million-zimbabwean-dollar-bill/457645/16 "2008-07-25T02:53:35Z")
[QUOTE=Mindfield] Honestly, what’s the use at that point? If your currency has devalued to such a mind-swimmingly absurd degree, then good show, you really, _really_ tried – really, an absolutely herculean effort, bravo and all that – but your currency went light speed past pining for the fjords back around the point where you could have saved yourself a million or two if you’d just been quicker to the register, so perhaps it’s about time you adopted someone else’s currency and called it a day, yeah? [/QUOTE] Which is why Hungary doesn’t use pengos any more. Though they adopted a new currency of their own (the forint) rather than using someone else’s. In 1931 the pengo was a gold coin. In 1946, with 10[sup]21[/sup] pengo notes in circulation, it was time to call it a day. ---
**Author:** ![Driver8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5a626/32.png) [@Driver8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Driver8)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2008, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-a-250-million-zimbabwean-dollar-bill/457645/17 "2008-07-25T02:59:52Z")
[QUOTE=Mindfield] As was said, hyperinflation. Last I checked, Zimbabwe’s most recent inflation rate exceeded 10,000,000% year-on-year in May, and analysts say it could exceed 40,000,000% for July, so that 250,000,000 ZWD note is worth a tiny fraction of what it was at its “best before” date. [/QUOTE] I still don’t understand the point - in the future it’ll just be worth a fraction of what it is now, why the need for the “expiry date”? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2008, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-a-250-million-zimbabwean-dollar-bill/457645/18 "2008-07-25T03:01:04Z")
[QUOTE=Alive At Both Ends] Which is why Hungary doesn’t use pengos any more. Though they adopted a new currency of their own (the forint) rather than using someone else’s. In 1931 the pengo was a gold coin. In 1946, with 10[sup]21[/sup] pengo notes in circulation, it was time to call it a day. [/QUOTE] I’ve mentioned this before in another thread, but for the sake of being complete, when the forint was introduced in 1946, it was introduced at a rate of one forint being equal to 4x10[sup]29[/sup] (400 octillion) pengő. Them’s a big number. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2008, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-a-250-million-zimbabwean-dollar-bill/457645/19 "2008-07-25T03:03:41Z")
[QUOTE=An Gadaí] There’s something I find vaguely distasteful about getting one for novelty purposes. It’s nearly like a form of schadenfreude. [/QUOTE] I guess you won’t be wanting a [Freedom Tower Silver Dollar.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_Tower_Silver_Dollar) It will never be released for circulation! ---
**Author:** ![Mindfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindfield/32/19759_2.png) [@Mindfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mindfield)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2008, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-a-250-million-zimbabwean-dollar-bill/457645/20 "2008-07-25T04:13:39Z")
[QUOTE=Driver8] I still don’t understand the point - in the future it’ll just be worth a fraction of what it is now, why the need for the “expiry date”? [/QUOTE] Zimbabwe have twice to revalue their dollar, essentially by lopping off a few zeroes and issuing “new” currency that was supposed to have more meaningful values. Unfortunately inflation continued to climb, and they planned to attempt this again last year, thus I presume the expiry date so that when/if they issue the new currency, the old stuff has only trade value to the new currency and is no longer considered legal tender. Since last year though hyperinflation has run ridiculously rampant, going from around 1,000% a month to over 10,000,000% in just six months, which is probably putting a crimp in those plans. It’s also possible that the expiry date is an attempt to encourage spending to stimulate the economy. If so, it didn’t work out so well… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-a-250-million-zimbabwean-dollar-bill/457645.md?page=2)