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Zimbabwe introduces $100 billion banknotes
CNN ^ | July 19, 2008 | Unknown

Posted on 07/19/2008 12:35:38 PM PDT by Abathar

HARARE, Zimbabwe (CNN) -- Zimbabwe's troubled central bank introduced new $100 billion banknotes Saturday in a desperate bid to ease the recurrent cash shortages plaguing the inflation-ravaged economy.

The new bills officially come into circulation Monday, although they were already on the foreign currency dealers market Saturday.

As high as they are, though, the new bills still aren't enough to buy a loaf of bread. They can only buy four oranges.

The new note is equal to just one U.S. dollar

Once-prosperous Zimbabwe has seen an unprecedented economic meltdown since it gained independence in 1980, with the official inflation rate now at 2.2 million percent.

Gideon Gono, governor of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, said the new notes are for "the convenience of the banking public and corporate sector" in light of price hikes.

"The RBZ has noted with concern the unjustifiable and incessant general increases in prices of goods and services. It is therefore appealing to the business community to follow ethical business practices as well as take an interest in the plight of the general public," Gono said in a statement dated Friday.

In January, the government issued bills in denominations of $1 million, $5 million, and $10 million -- and in May, it issued bills from $25 million and $50 million up to $25 billion and $50 billion.

The new bills are actually bearer checks and have an expiration date of December 31. Zimbabwe has not had formal currency since the introduction of bearer checks as a temporary measure in 2003.

(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs
KEYWORDS: africa; africawinsagain; mugabe; zimbabwe
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To: SpaceBar
I would like to get one. It would be cool as a coffee table conversation piece. This has also got to set the record for the highest denomination note.
21 posted on 07/19/2008 1:15:59 PM PDT by AmericaUnited
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To: Perdogg

A radical (and smart) idea would be to buy all their money back in exchange for dollars or euros and use that for their offical currency (Panama still uses dollars.)

Of course, if you can’t print as much money as you want you can’t pay your thugs five times the national average salary.


22 posted on 07/19/2008 1:19:07 PM PDT by oldleft
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To: FredZarguna
Comin' up next, the Avogadro Note: 6.022 * 10^23 Zimbabwe dollars = 1 US dime.

I like it. One mole = 0.10 bucks.


23 posted on 07/19/2008 1:20:30 PM PDT by seowulf
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To: Abathar

(Zimbabwe’s troubled central bank introduced new $100 billion banknotes Saturday in a desperate bid to ease the recurrent cash shortages plaguing the inflation-ravaged economy)

Coming soon to your Nation with its 9 TRILLION dollar Debt,under funded socialist programs, over taxed citizen workers, and if Obama becomes President more socialist programs, higher taxes, higher oil/gas costs and those new Federal Reserve notes in denominations of 1,000 and 10,000 and 100,000 so the citizens can pay their gas bills and food bills without carrying suitcases around......


24 posted on 07/19/2008 1:22:09 PM PDT by SECURE AMERICA (Got Freedom ? Thank a Veteran...... Want to keep Freedom? Don't vote Obama)
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To: Abathar
[The new bills] can only buy four oranges.

Nope, only one grape; it's 1:21PM.

25 posted on 07/19/2008 1:22:17 PM PDT by LibWhacker
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To: AmericaUnited

When the government of Zimbabwe finally collapses into oblivion, the entire set from one million and up will available on Home Shopping Network in an attractive oak presentation case for three easy payments of $19.95.


26 posted on 07/19/2008 1:22:28 PM PDT by SpaceBar
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To: Abathar
ONE HUNDRED BILLION DOLLARS!


27 posted on 07/19/2008 1:23:10 PM PDT by oldleft
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To: SpaceBar

Where can I get one?


28 posted on 07/19/2008 1:25:00 PM PDT by Dr. Bogus Pachysandra ("Don't touch that thing")
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To: Abathar

Today’s $100 billion note or tomorrow’s cheap toilet paper? Is there really a difference anymore?


29 posted on 07/19/2008 1:28:27 PM PDT by eclecticEel (men who believe deeply in something, even wrong, usually triumph over men who believe in nothing)
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To: seowulf
Hurry down to your local dentist: while this exchange rate lasts, molar removal for only 2000 moles! [How many moles dermatologists be charging for black mole removal next week is anybody’s guess.]
30 posted on 07/19/2008 1:29:33 PM PDT by FredZarguna (In vino Possumus.)
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To: SECURE AMERICA
new Federal Reserve notes in denominations of 1,000 and 10,000 and 100,000 so the citizens can pay their gas bills and food bills without carrying suitcases around

Look on the bright side: The Butchers of Bejing will be left holding the Bag.

31 posted on 07/19/2008 1:31:12 PM PDT by FredZarguna (In vino Possumus.)
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To: Abathar
Like the Weimar Republic in the '20s, they'll soon be printing the bills on one side to save time. Perhaps we should send Bernanke THIS as a primer. Scroll down to the various countries and see what may be in store for us.
32 posted on 07/19/2008 1:36:55 PM PDT by Oatka (A society of sheep must in time beget a government of wolves." –Bertrand de Jouvenel)
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To: Abathar

Wouldn’t it be a thrill to light your cigar with a 100 billion dollar bill? Or maybe not.


33 posted on 07/19/2008 1:48:53 PM PDT by wildbill ( FR---changing history by erasing it from memory.)
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To: Abathar
Sorry that I have little sympathy for those who elected this socialist in the first place. They are just like those who voted for Hamas. You know, the type out to please Jimmy Carter.
34 posted on 07/19/2008 1:50:21 PM PDT by Mark was here (The earth is bipolar.)
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To: Wil H
Socialism works!

Everyone in Zimbabwe is a Billionaire!

When I was little, I heard a song that completely turned me off of socialistic intentions... It was "I'd Love to Change the World" by Ten Years After. The line, which as a 6 year old, really bothered me, was "tax the rich, feed the poor, till there are no rich no more." Within my little 6 year old mind, I was thinking "being rich is a good thing, and the more rich people there are the better. Why wouldn't everyone want to be rich. But why do these people want to get rid of the rich, rather than getting rid of the poor, by making the poor rich?"

A simple question, which no leftist has ever been able to answer for me.

Mark

35 posted on 07/19/2008 2:07:33 PM PDT by MarkL (Al Gore: The Greenhouse Gasbag! (heard on Bob Brinker's Money Talk))
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To: BooksForTheRight.com
With inflation like that, money and savings have no value.

And to make sure that people don't try to "save for the future" by keeping those bank notes, the last ones I saw had expiration dates on them.

Mark

36 posted on 07/19/2008 2:08:50 PM PDT by MarkL (Al Gore: The Greenhouse Gasbag! (heard on Bob Brinker's Money Talk))
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To: Abathar

Anyone know how to get a few of these bills? I have GOT to buy a few dozen... Just to carry a few in my wallet.

Imagine the looks on your friends faces: “why yes, I am a multi-billionaire! Would you like to see some proof?” and out comes the $100 billion dollar bill!


37 posted on 07/19/2008 2:34:17 PM PDT by PugetSoundSoldier (Indignation over the sting of truth is the defense of the indefensible)
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To: Abathar
Gideon Gono ?
38 posted on 07/19/2008 2:41:28 PM PDT by Eric in the Ozarks
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To: AmericaUnited; Dr. Bogus Pachysandra; PugetSoundSoldier

To get a cool souvenir, just search ebay for “Zimbabwe billion.”

http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?query=zimbabwe+billion

No $100b yet, but plenty of $50b and below.


39 posted on 07/19/2008 2:46:14 PM PDT by Atlas Sneezed (Guns don't kill people, criminals and the governments that create them do.)
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To: Abathar

This monster leader needs to be taken out. But then again let the world see how these type of leaders they’ve supported turn out. They turn into MONSTERS.


40 posted on 07/19/2008 2:47:48 PM PDT by shield (A wise man's heart is at his RIGHT hand;but a fool's heart at his LEFT. Ecc 10:2)
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