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Zimbabwe is in a period of hyperinflation. At the time of independence in 1980, one Zimbabwean dollar was worth US$1.50. Since then, rampant inflation and the collapse of the economy have severely devalued the currency.

In the August 2006 currency reform, 1 new dollar was exchanged for 1,000 old dollars. The highest denomination was then 1000 new dollars.

Due to continued runaway inflation, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe released into circulation on December 20, 2007 three high denomination bearer checks, $250,000, $500,000 and $750,000.

On January 1, 2008, the bank released, for the first time, million dollar bearer checks, $1,000,000, $5,000,000 and $10,000,000.

On April 4, 2008, the bank introduced $25,000,000 and $50,000,000 bearer checks.

A month later on May 6, 2008, the bank put into circulation $100,000,000 and $250,000,000 bearer checks.

Zimbabwe dollar traded at about 200 million dollars to 1 US dollar. With inflation running at over 165,000 per cent, a loaf of bread costs about 80 million dollars, and a bunch of five bananas comes out at close to 100 million dollars.