What currency did Zimbabwe abandon as its official currency in 2009 after extreme hyperinflation?

Zimbabwe abandoned the Zimbabwean dollar as its official currency in 2009 after extreme hyperinflation.

The Zimbabwean dollar had been introduced in 1980, replacing the Rhodesian dollar after independence. Years of economic disruption, falling production, fiscal problems, and rapid money creation severely weakened its value. By 2008, prices were rising so quickly that ordinary transactions became difficult.

The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe issued increasingly large denominations, including a 100-trillion-dollar note in 2009. The government then permitted foreign currencies, especially the US dollar and South African rand, to circulate. In April 2009, Zimbabwe effectively suspended the use of its own dollar.

This period is often described as dollarisation, although the country used a basket of foreign currencies rather than only one. Zimbabwe later introduced a new Zimbabwean dollar in 2019, so the 2009 abandonment did not permanently end the currency’s name.