Thanks to economic turmoil, this country’s bank notes have more value as collectibles than as currency. And that’s not even the worst part.

Off the top of your head, how much would you think a one-hundred billion dollar Zimbabwe bank note is worth in American currency?

It depends on who’s buying, but both answers are bad news for the African country: The official conversion rate is $5 for every one-hundred billion Zimbabwe dollars, but collectors have been paying up to $80 for each note on eBay.

The new note, launched this week, was an attempt to help the suffering economy, but it’s already too little, too late. One note is usually worth enough to buy a single loaf of bread, but only if residents are lucky enough to find food on depleted store shelves.

More signs of the poor times:

• It’s actually cheaper to light a fire with lower-denomination bills than it is to use newspaper.
• Lottery prizes and house prices are listed in the quadrillions.
• Inflation is quoted at 2.2 million percent by official estimates, but independent analysts quote it close to 12.5 million percent.
• Beggars and homeless don’t bother to pick up dropped bills on the street.
• Converting Zimbabwe dollars into U.S. dollars is pointless — by the time the funds are processed, Zimbabwe currency can be expected to be worth even less.

It’s not just the poor suffering — a financial director for a prominent company in the country claimed his salary comes out to $50 U.S. dollars per month at the currency rate. At his local sports club, a hamburger costs $12 U.S. dollars. (He hasn’t eaten out in over a year.)

Even worse for the rank-and-file: One worker actually earns less than his daily bus fare to work, but makes a slight profit by selling firewood he takes home with him.

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Tags: Africa, Bank notes, Currency rate, Suffering economy, Zimbabwe