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5000 Dollars Emergency Bearer Cheque
| Issuer | Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe |
|---|---|
| Year | 2003 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | The obverse is dominated by fine guilloche underprint work in blue and green tones, with the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe logo and a vignette of the Flame Lily, Zimbabwe's national flower, rendered in the central field. A group of three Black Rhinoceroses appears at the lower right, serving as the principal figurative motif. The cheque text panel carries the denomination, issuing authority, and bearer payment inscription in black letterpress. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse lettering | 5050505050 |
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| Comments |
Zimbabwe's monetary situation in 2003 was deteriorating fast enough that the Reserve Bank resorted to bearer cheques — instruments with defined expiry dates — rather than conventional banknotes. These were not designed to circulate indefinitely; the series carried printed expiry provisions, a tacit acknowledgment that their face value would become meaningless if held too long. The 5000 Dollar denomination was substantial at issue but had been rendered trivial by inflation within months.
With a print run just over twelve million, this is not rare in absolute terms, but expired bearer cheques were widely discarded rather than returned for redemption, which produced an odd survival pattern — heavily circulated used examples alongside unissued remainders.