Zimbabwean one hundred trillion dollar note
| Country | Zimbabwe |
|---|---|
| Value | $100,000,000,000,000 ($1014) |
| Width | 148 mm |
| Height | 74 mm |
| Security features | Optically variable ink |
| Material used | Paper |
| Years of printing | 2009 |
| Obverse | |
 | |
| Design | Domboremari |
| Reverse | |
 | |
| Design | |
The Zimbabwean one hundred trillion dollar note was a banknote of the third Zimbabwean dollar with a face value of $100 trillion, equal to 40 US cents in 2015.[1] Issued by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe and legal tender from January to June 2009, it was one of the world's largest currency denominations (along with the last notes of the Hungarian pengő), and symbolised the 2007–2009 period of hyperinflation in Zimbabwe.[2] It has since gained significant interest from economists and banknote collectors, with examples selling for much more than their 2015 face value.[1][3]
Description
[edit]The $100 trillion note was part of a series of banknotes of the third Zimbabwean dollar,[4] which circulated from 1 August 2008 until 12 April 2009.[5][6] The paper note is mainly blue with a peach accent, and measures 148 mm wide and 74 mm high: the front features an illustration of the Domboremari near Epworth at centre – a regular feature on the front of Zimbabwean notes since 1981;[7] the reverse features Victoria Falls on the left, and a Cape buffalo on the right.[2] The note lacked modern security features, such as a watermark, due to sanctions against the Zimbabwean government and the Reserve Bank at the time:[8] instead, the note had a patterned stripe and a silhouette of the Zimbabwe Bird in optically variable ink.[9]
Circulation history
[edit]The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe introduced the $100 trillion banknote on 16 January 2009, along with those for $10 trillion, $20 trillion and $50 trillion: at the time, Zimbabwe went through severe hyperinflation, with BBC News reporting that the $100 trillion note was worth around US$30 or £20 on its first day in circulation.[10][11]
The $100 trillion note did not last long in circulation: on 2 February 2009, the fourth Zimbabwean dollar replaced the third dollar, with the note itself being equal to 100 fourth dollars:[12] the Reserve Bank meant to have the $100 trillion notes co-circulate with notes of the fourth dollar until 30 June 2009,[13] but the power-sharing government of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai instead suspended the Zimbabwean dollar entirely on 12 April 2009.[6]
Aftermath
[edit]Despite falling out of use in favour of hard currencies such as the United States dollar in April 2009,[6] the $100 trillion banknote remained redeemable until 30 September 2015, 6 years and 171 days after the Zimbabwean dollar was originally abandoned: by then, banknote collectors were selling $100 trillion notes for much more than their June 2015 face value of 40 US cents.[1][14] The notes also became a target of investment scams similar to those affecting the Iraqi dinar, where promoters falsely claimed that the notes would be "revalued" (deflated) to a profitable exchange rate,[15] and counterfeits that capitalised on the note's high collectable value.[16]
According to The Wall Street Journal in 2011, United States House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan and Stanford University economist John B. Taylor each kept a $100 trillion note in their wallet as a physical reminder of the perils of hyperinflation.[3]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- 1 2 3 "Count the zeroes: Zimbabwe allows old banknote exchange". The Florida Times-Union. Jacksonville: USA Today Co. Associated Press. 12 June 2015. Archived from the original on 6 April 2024. Retrieved 30 April 2026.
- 1 2 Moran, Roger J. (2008). "100,000,000,000,000 Dollars, Zimbabwe, 2008". National Museum of American History. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution. Archived from the original on 15 January 2024. Retrieved 30 April 2026.
- 1 2 McGroarty, Patrick; Mutsaka, Farai (11 May 2011). "How to Turn 100 Trillion Dollars Into Five and Feel Good About It". The Wall Street Journal. New York City: Dow Jones & Company. Archived from the original on 25 December 2014. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
- ↑ Linzmayer 2025, pp. 20–27.
- ↑ Biles, Peter (1 August 2008). "Zimbabwe rolls out new bank notes". BBC News. London: BBC. Archived from the original on 7 August 2008. Retrieved 30 April 2026.
- 1 2 3 "Zimbabwe dollar 'not back soon'". BBC News. London: BBC. 12 April 2009. Archived from the original on 15 April 2009. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
- ↑ Linzmayer 2025, pp. 3–4.
- ↑ McGreal, Chris (23 July 2008). "Soldiers await pay as Zimbabwe runs out of paper to print money". The Guardian. London: Guardian Media Group. Archived from the original on 2 September 2013. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
- ↑ Linzmayer 2025, p. 27.
- ↑ "Zimbabwe rolls out Z$100tr note". BBC News. London: BBC. 16 January 2009. Archived from the original on 21 January 2009. Retrieved 30 April 2026.
- ↑ Hanke, Steve H.; Kwok, Alex K. F. (1 March 2009). "On the Measurement of Zimbabwe's Hyperinflation". Cato Journal. 29 (2). Washington D.C.: Cato Institute: 354–356. ISSN 0273-3072.
- ↑ "Zimbabwe dollar sheds 12 zeros". BBC News. London: BBC. 2 February 2009. Archived from the original on 5 February 2009. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
- ↑ "Introducing the new series of bank notes less 12 zeroes" (PDF). Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe. Harare. 2 February 2009. p. 2. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 February 2009. Retrieved 30 April 2026.
- ↑ Mangudya, John (11 June 2015). "Press Statement: Demonetisation of the Zimbabwe Dollar" (PDF). Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe. Harare. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 July 2015. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
- ↑ Rothschild, Mike (14 July 2015). "The Next Great Currency Scam". Skeptoid. Laguna Niguel: Skeptoid Media. Archived from the original on 9 April 2016. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
- ↑ "How to spot a fake Zimbabwe 100 trillion dollar banknote". Lapo Numismatics. Miami. 2 January 2025. Archived from the original on 10 June 2025. Retrieved 30 April 2026.
Bibliography
[edit]- Linzmayer, Owen (2025). "Zimbabwe". The Banknote Book. Virginia Beach: CDN Publishing.
