Banknotes of Zimbabwe

Banknotes Of Zimbabwe

The paper money of Zimbabwe were physical forms of Zimbabwe’s four incarnations of the dollar ($ or Z$) from 1980 to 2009. The banknotes of the first dollar replaced those of the Rhodesian dollar at par in 1980 following the proclamation of independence. The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe issued most of the banknotes and other types of currency notes in its history, including Bearer cheques and Agro cheques ("Agro" being short for Agricultural) in the period between 2003 and 2008: the Standard Chartered Bank also issued emergency cheques from 2003 to 2004.

The main illustration on the obverse of banknotes issued since 1980 is the Chiremba Balancing Rocks in Epworth, Harare. The rocks were part of the Reserve Bank's emblem, which was used for all Bearer and Agro cheques, which circulated between 15 September 2003 and 31 December 2008. The reverse of dollar notes often illustrate the culture or landmarks of Zimbabwe.

The second dollar (ZWN) was replaced on 1 August 2008 by the third dollar (ZWR), which was then phased out by fourth dollar (ZWL) with short notice on 2 February 2009 because it rapidly lost value. The economic and trade sanctions imposed against the Zimbabwean government and the Reserve Bank have made it difficult to incorporate modern security features on most banknotes issued since September 2008.

The banknotes of the third dollar were originally scheduled to be demonetised on 30 June 2009 but the Zimbabwean dollar as a whole has been suspended since 12 April 2009, implying that banknotes of both the third and fourth dollar are not de jure legal tender.