You would not want to live in Zimbabwe right now, April 2009.<p>

On February 2, 2009 Zimbabwe revalued it's currency for the 4th time since it was created in 1980.  Briefly, from 1980 until 2006, it used the same dollar for coins and currency.  In January 2002, coins became obsolete as inflation made them more valuable as scrap metal than money.  All coins dated between 1980 and 2002 were issued at face value in the first dollar unit.  It appears that 2002 dated coins were issued but did not really circulate, as they do not show up in the circulated poundage mixes being sold by coin dealers.  In fact, the only coin dated 2001 that is common in poundage is the $5 bimetal.<p>

In 2006, Zimbabwe knocked 3 zeros off it's dollar, making ONE 2006 dollar worth 1,000 old dollars.<p>

The largest banknote issued then was a 50 billion dollars ($50,000,000,000) Agronote.<p>

On August 1, 2008 it knocked 10 zeros off it's dollar, making ONE 2008 dollar worth 10 billion (10,000,000,000) old 2006 dollars [and worth 10 trillion (10,000,000,000,0000 old dollars from 1980].<p>

Also, on August 1, 2008, it revalued old coins into 2008 dollars.  Meaning, an old 2002 dated $1 coin suddenly became valuable again as ONE 2008 dollar!!! People starting digging up old coins which had been buried because they were worthless.  This was the first time in modern history that a country had revalued old coins into new currency WITHOUT any markings.  It appears that the bank released coins mostly dated 2001 or 2002.<p>

eBay sellers such as myself are accurately selling these 1980 - 2002 dated coins as billion or trillion dollar coins.  For example, a 10 cent coin became worth 1 trillion dollars in old dollars - so it is OK to advertise the coin as a $1,000,000,000 coin - even though the coin does not state this amount.<p>

Also, on August 1, 2008 it issued a $10 coin and a $25 coin, both dated 2003.  These coins apparently were minted in 2003, but not released.  These coins only circulated for less than 2 months before they were completely valueless.  Unofficially these coins were withdrawn due to their low exchange value - nobody knows if they were melted or turned into scrap metal, or are being held to be reissued again.  [These coins are selling for very cheap prices on eBay right now.]<p>

The largest banknote issued then was a 100 trillion dollars (100,000,000,000,000) reserve note.<p>

Finally, on February 2, 2009 it knocked 12 zeros off it's dollar, making ONE 2009 dollar worth 1 trillion old 2008 dollars [and worth 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 old 2006 dollars and 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 - 10 septillion dollars!!! in old 1980 dollars.]

This old 100 trillion dollar banknote was equal to $100 in new 2009 dollars.<p>

Supposedly this new 2009 dollars was pegged unofficially to the South African Rand and the USA dollar, but a recent review of the current exchange value charts shows that this had no real effect upon inflation of prices denominated in Zimbabwe dollars.<p>

There is more to this story.  You can find it on other websites.  Needless to say, nobody in Zimbabwe SAVES money because it becomes valueless in less than a month.