Amid Zimbabwe's mind-boggling hyper inflation, a new 100 billion dollar bank note has more value as a novelty item on eBay than on the streets of the capital.
The note, launched this week, is worth enough to buy a loaf of bread - if you can find one on Zimbabwe's depleted store shelves. Meanwhile on eBay, the bill was on offer for nearly $80.
Notes in the millions of dollars are useful only as toilet paper and it's cheaper to light a fire with low denomination bills than with newspaper.
In the political and economic turmoil since disputed March 29 elections, prices have risen almost daily. Factories and businesses have shut down amid empty order books and chronic shortages of gasoline, power, water and spare parts for equipment repairs.
President Robert Mugabe and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai signed an agreement on Monday to hold talks about power-sharing to end the crisis and restore economic stability. But the news failed to move the exchange rate, since little cash is available.
House prices and lottery prizes are quoted in quadrillions - that's with 15 zeros. Zimbabweans says it's only a matter of time before big ticket items will be priced in the quintillions, which have 18 zeros.
Official inflation is quoted at 2.2 million percent but independent finance houses say it's closer to 12.5 million percent.
One major commercial bank said its automated teller machines are not configured to dispense multi-zero withdrawals and freeze in what it called a "data overflow error." Software writers are busy writing programs to try to overcome the problem.
Urgent electronic transfers in trillions also take several days as electronic accounting systems grapple with transactions in 12 zeros.
Bank transfers command a special rate. A hundred billion dollars is worth $5 at the official rate, $1 at the black market rate - but just 30 US cents in a transfer because by the time the funds are processed the Zimbabwe currency can be expected to be worth a lot less.
Shops have dropped six zeros from price tags, adding them again after totals are tallied at tills.
Zimbabwe has 27 denominations of bills and no coins. Lower value bills - 10 million Zimbabwe dollars - are all but obsolete, even in brick-sized bundles. Beggars and street urchins rarely bother to pick up such bills dropped on the street.
One Internet provider has invited customers to pay their fees in gasoline coupons that hold their value.
A 58-year-old Harare financial director who asked not to be identified said his monthly salary is paid in local money which converts to $50 at the bank rate. When available at his local sports club, a hamburger costs the equivalent of $12. He hasn't eaten out in a year.
