{"product_id":"zimbabwe-p-76-500000-dollars-2008-vf-light-pink","title":"Zimbabwe P-76 500000 Dollars 2008 VF—Hyperinflation—Balancing Rocks—Green","description":"\u003ch3\u003eFront\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Chiremba_Balancing_Rocks\"\u003eChiremba Balancing Rocks\u003c\/a\u003e at \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Matobo_National_Park\"\u003eMatobo (Matopos) National Park\u003c\/a\u003e — a geological formation that became Zimbabwe's most iconic national symbol; the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Hungwe\"\u003eZimbabwe Bird\u003c\/a\u003e rendered in colour-shifting (OVI) security ink\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLettering: 500 000 RESERVE BANK OF ZIMBABWE \/ I promise to pay the bearer on demand \/ FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS \/ for the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe \/ HARARE 2008\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eBack\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eColors: matching pink\/lavender palette\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePalm trees in the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/National_Botanic_Garden_of_Zimbabwe\"\u003eNational Herbarium and Botanic Garden\u003c\/a\u003e in Avondale, Harare; dairy farming scene with milking cows — agriculture and botany as quiet visual statements during a moment of severe economic crisis\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLettering: 500 000 RESERVE BANK OF ZIMBABWE\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eOther Characteristics\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVarieties: 2008 issue, single design (signed by Governor Gideon Gono)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCatalog numbers: P# 76; TBB# 167; \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Numista\"\u003eNumista\u003c\/a\u003e N#201940 | Numista: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.numista.com\/201940\"\u003ehttps:\/\/en.numista.com\/201940\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eComposition: Paper\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSize: 148 × 74 mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eShape: Rectangular\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEdge: Cut\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTechnique: Lithography (with security features)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOrientation: Horizontal\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIssuing entity: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Reserve_Bank_of_Zimbabwe\"\u003eReserve Bank of Zimbabwe\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMint: not stated by primary references\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eYears issued: 2008 (Chiremba Rocks Series); demonetized 30 September 2015\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCurrency: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Zimbabwean_dollar\"\u003eThird Zimbabwean Dollar\u003c\/a\u003e (ZWR, 2007–2008) — replaced by the Fourth Dollar within months\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOfficial language: English (one of 16 official languages of Zimbabwe)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eAbout Zimbabwe\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOrigin of name: From the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Shona_language\"\u003eShona\u003c\/a\u003e phrase \u003cem\u003edzimba dzemabwe\u003c\/em\u003e (\"houses of stone\"), referring to the medieval city of \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Great_Zimbabwe\"\u003eGreat Zimbabwe\u003c\/a\u003e, a stone-built capital that flourished from the 11th to 15th centuries\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCapital: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Harare\"\u003eHarare\u003c\/a\u003e (city pop. ~1.5 million; metro ~2.4 million)\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOrigin of name: Renamed in 1982 from Salisbury after Chief \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Neharawa\"\u003eNeharawa\u003c\/a\u003e (whose nickname was \u003cem\u003eHaarare\u003c\/em\u003e, \"he who does not sleep\")\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePopulation: ~16.7 million (UN 2024) — comparable to \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Netherlands\"\u003ethe Netherlands\u003c\/a\u003e or \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Senegal\"\u003eSenegal\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eArea: 390,757 km² (150,872 mi²) — comparable to \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Montana\"\u003eMontana\u003c\/a\u003e or \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Japan\"\u003eJapan\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGDP per capita (\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Purchasing_power_parity\"\u003ePPP\u003c\/a\u003e): ~$3,400 (IMF 2024)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMain exports: gold, platinum, tobacco, ferrochrome, diamonds, lithium\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBorders: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/South_Africa\"\u003eSouth Africa\u003c\/a\u003e (south), \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Botswana\"\u003eBotswana\u003c\/a\u003e (southwest), \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Zambia\"\u003eZambia\u003c\/a\u003e (north), \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mozambique\"\u003eMozambique\u003c\/a\u003e (east); landlocked\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOfficial\/spoken language: 16 official languages including \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Shona_language\"\u003eShona\u003c\/a\u003e (~70% of speakers), \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Northern_Ndebele_language\"\u003eNdebele\u003c\/a\u003e, English\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEthnicities: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Shona_people\"\u003eShona\u003c\/a\u003e (~70%), \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Northern_Ndebele_people\"\u003eNdebele\u003c\/a\u003e (~20%), other Bantu and minorities\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMemberships: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/United_Nations\"\u003eUnited Nations\u003c\/a\u003e (1980); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/African_Union\"\u003eAfrican Union\u003c\/a\u003e (1980); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Southern_African_Development_Community\"\u003eSADC\u003c\/a\u003e (1992); rejoined the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Commonwealth_of_Nations\"\u003eCommonwealth\u003c\/a\u003e after 2018\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSovereignty: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Southern_Rhodesia\"\u003eSouthern Rhodesia\u003c\/a\u003e (British colony, 1923–1965); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Rhodesia\"\u003eRhodesia\u003c\/a\u003e (UDI, 1965–1979); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Zimbabwe_Rhodesia\"\u003eZimbabwe Rhodesia\u003c\/a\u003e (1979); independence as Republic of Zimbabwe on 18 April 1980\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eZimbabwe Hyperinflation Unfiltered\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eZimbabwe holds the world record for hyperinflation: in November 2008 inflation hit 79,600,000,000% per month — prices roughly doubled every 24 hours\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThis 500,000 dollar note (\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Zimbabwean_dollar\"\u003eThird Zimbabwean Dollar\u003c\/a\u003e) was issued in early 2008; by year's end it was rendered nearly worthless by inflation that culminated in the famous Z$100 trillion note (Fourth Dollar)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe Reserve Bank issued THREE different \"dollar\" currencies between 2006 and 2009 — each replacing the previous after rapid devaluation: Second Dollar → Third Dollar (this note's currency) → Fourth Dollar (the trillion-denomination notes)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBy April 2009 Zimbabwe abandoned its dollar entirely and used USD, ZAR, and other currencies for over a decade\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe 500,000 dollar note was issued under the \"Chiremba Rocks\" series — a deliberately tranquil design at a moment of monetary chaos\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThis note was officially demonetized on 30 September 2015 — the final closing of the Third Dollar episode\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eBalancing Rocks Against the Crash\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Chiremba_Balancing_Rocks\"\u003eChiremba Balancing Rocks\u003c\/a\u003e on the obverse — boulders impossibly stacked by millennia of erosion in \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Matobo_National_Park\"\u003eMatobo National Park\u003c\/a\u003e — became Zimbabwe's most ubiquitous national symbol after independence. They appear on the coat of arms, on coins, and on multiple banknote series across decades. The choice to put them on this 500,000 dollar note in 2008 — a piece of currency that lost half its value within weeks of being issued — was a kind of visual prayer for stability. The rocks have stood for tens of thousands of years; the Third Dollar lasted just over twenty months.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe Color-Shifting Bird\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you tilt this note in the light, the small \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Hungwe\"\u003eZimbabwe Bird\u003c\/a\u003e printed near the central design shifts color — typically from green to gold or vice versa. This is OVI (optically variable ink), a security feature added to combat the wave of forgeries that plagued Zimbabwean currency during the hyperinflation. The irony: the Reserve Bank invested in expensive security inks for paper that lost its value faster than a forger could plausibly print fakes. The Zimbabwe Bird itself is a soapstone sculpture excavated at Great Zimbabwe in the 19th century, today the country's most reproduced national emblem. It survives every currency reissue — quietly continuous across a sequence of monetary collapses.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"World Money Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52110596669751,"sku":"ZW76VF","price":0.74,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0969\/7165\/3431\/files\/ZW76o.jpg?v=1778412961","url":"https:\/\/worldmoneystore.com\/products\/zimbabwe-p-76-500000-dollars-2008-vf-light-pink","provider":"World Money Store","version":"1.0","type":"link"}