Funny Money

[Donde]

Venezuelan migrants have been flooding into Colombia and there are now more than a million. They have crossed the border to escape a disastrous economic situation where more often than not there is simply no food on the shelves at the supermarkets and forget medicine. They ask for assistance now at traffic lights all over Colombia. I was at a traffic light today in Cali and a Venezuelan fellow came down the line of cars placing Venezuelan money on our windshields hoping we would give him something. I did and he gave me three bills.

The monetary note of Venezuela is the Bolivar. In early August after already numerous devaluations the value of the Bolivar was 285,000 to one US dollar. In late August the president of Venezuela ordered a new devaluation (an historic record) which resulted in a new exchange rate of six million bolivars to the dollar.

The now nearly worthless bolivar notes are actually quite attractive with historic Venezuelan heroes on one side and important threatened species on the other.

 

[tirediron]

Sounds a lot like post WWI Germany's inflation. Scary!

 

[Designer]

I've got some Zimbabwe money that I actually PAID for. A 100-trillion Zimbabwe dollar for which I paid $5 US. The picture on the note reminds me of a pile of elephant dung.

100 Trillion Zimbabwe Banknotes 2008 AA Series Uncirculated

 

[Jeff15]

All this is disastrous for the countries involved, I fell sorry for all the people it affects.......

 

[Designer]

All this is disastrous for the countries involved, I fell sorry for all the people it affects.......

That post is begging for a real comment, but I resist.

 

[Gary A.]

Nice money ... Terrible situation.

I've always wondered if the world was always this way ... human inflicted bad stuff happening all the time. But now, due to the internet, we are more aware of world problems.

 

[Jeff G]

Money is definately an under appreciated art form, both coins and bills. These are very nice.

 

[Derrel]

An informational post. I like the photos of the bills. Sad to hear about the dire economic situation in that region.