Zimbabwean bond notes were a form of banknote in circulation in Zimbabwe. Released by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, the notes were stated to not be a currency in itself but rather legal tender near money pegged equally against the U.S. dollar. In 2014, prior to the release of bond notes, a series of bond coins entered circulation.

History

In November 2016, backed by a US$200 million loan from the African Export-Import Bank, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe began issuing $2 bond notes. Two months later, US$15 million worth of new five-dollar bond notes were also released. Further plans for $10 and $20 bond notes were ruled out by the Reserve Bank's governor John Mangudya. However, in 2020, $10 bond and $20 were introduced. In 2022, the $50 and $100 bond notes were introduced.

The notes were not generally accepted by the Zimbabwean people, so the government tried expanding the electronic money supply and issuing Treasury bills instead.

The bond notes were still in circulation in 2018, although former Finance Minister Tendai Biti said that they should be demonetised, as they were being subject to arbitrage. In the campaigning for the 2018 elections, the bond notes became a political issue, with the MDC Alliance calling for their replacement with 'real cash'.

Despite the notes being notionally pegged to the US dollar, their value, like the former Zimbabwean dollar, is collapsing, with everyday transactions using a rate of $3 bond notes to 1 United States dollar in January 2019 and over $90 bond notes to US$1 as of November 2020. As of August 2022, the conversion rate is $361.9 bond notes to US$1.

Banknotes

Bond notes, 2016 (Signature: John Mangudya, Capital: Harare)
Pick No.ImageValueDimensionsMain colourDescriptionDate of
ObverseReverseObverseReverseWatermarkprintingissuewithdrawal
99$2155 × 62 mmGreenDomboremari with treesEternal Flame at the National Heroes' Acre, and the Old Parliament HouseZimbabwe Bird and "RBZ"201628 November 201611 November 2019
100$5155 × 66 mmPurpleThree giraffes and the Zimbabwe Aloe (Aloe excelsa)3 February 2017
These images are to scale at 0.7 pixel per millimetre (18 pixel per inch). For table standards, see the banknote specification table.

Bond notes and the RTGS dollar

In February 2019, the RBZ Governor announced that the bond notes would be part of the "values" that make up the new currency to be added into the Zimbabwean market, the RTGS dollar along with the bond coins and electronic balances.

See also

External links

  • Media related to Money of Zimbabwe at Wikimedia Commons
Preceded by: Multi-currency system Reason: shortage of hard currency Ratio: at par with the US dollarCurrency of Zimbabwe 2014 – 2019 Note: Part of a multi-currency system, along with bond coinsSucceeded by: Fifth Zimbabwean dollar Reason: attempted dedollarisation Ratio: at par