Hyperinflation 5 Banknote Set 1944-1993 VF-AUNC – Hungary, Yugoslavia, Zaire, Greece

📸 Please Note: We have many of these banknotes in stock. The exact serial numbers and specific wear patterns will vary from the photographs, but the described condition and overall quality remain exactly the same.

Five banknotes from four of the worst hyperinflations in history: Greece 1944, Hungary 1946, Zaire 1992 and Yugoslavia 1993. Together they show how quickly money can collapse, from five million drachmai to five hundred billion dinara.

⚡ Extreme Index: 9.1 / 10
Why it's extreme: Four of history's worst hyperinflations in one set, including Hungary 1946, the worst ever recorded.

• History & drama (30%): 10/10
• Scarcity (25%): 4.8/10 (Numista rarity index 35/100, scarcest note in the set)
• Wow factor (20%): 9.5/10
• Age (15%): 7/10
• Condition (10%): 7/10

Hyperinflation rule: hyperinflation notes and sets score between 8.0 and 9.4.

The Extreme Index is Extreme Banknotes' own collector score based on history, scarcity, curiosity, age and condition — it is not a valuation or investment rating.

📦 Included Banknotes:

1. 1946 Hungary 1 Milliárd Pengő – 1,000,000,000 pengő (P-125), VF

2. 1946 Hungary 1 Millió B.-Pengő (P-134), VF

3. 1993 Yugoslavia 500,000,000,000 Dinara (P-137), AUNC

4. 1992 Zaire 1,000,000 Zaïres (P-40), VF

5. 1944 Greece 5,000,000 Drachmai (P-128), AUNC

📖 History and Significance:
After World War II, Hungary suffered the worst hyperinflation ever recorded: by July 1946 prices were doubling roughly every 15 hours, and the National Bank introduced new units such as the milpengő and the B.-pengő to cope with the numbers. In occupied Greece, monthly inflation peaked at roughly 13,800% in late 1944, and the Bank of Greece printed notes in millions and then billions of drachmai. In Zaire, hyperinflation spiralled out of control in the early 1990s, during the final years of Mobutu Sese Seko's rule, forcing ever larger notes such as this 1,000,000 Zaïres. Under UN sanctions and war, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia financed itself by printing money until inflation peaked in January 1994 at about 313 million percent per month, the second-worst hyperinflation on record. Together these five notes tell one story: when a state prints money to pay its bills, prices can rise faster than new notes can be printed.

🎨 Design Details:
Hungary 1 Milliárd Pengő: ornate guilloche frames, a classical portrait and the denomination written out in Hungarian.
Hungary 1 Millió B.-Pengő: portrait at right, "EGYMILLIÓ B.-PENGŐ" and the Magyar Nemzeti Bank name.
Yugoslavia 500 billion Dinara: portrait of the poet Jovan Jovanović Zmaj beside the twelve-zero value.
Zaire 1,000,000 Zaïres: President Mobutu Sese Seko in military uniform and cap, with the coat of arms and a leaping leopard.
Greece 5,000,000 Drachmai: the head of the nymph Arethusa, copied from an ancient silver decadrachm of Syracuse, beside the huge numerals "5.000.000".

🔍 Numismatic Features:

• Number of notes: 5
• Material: Paper
• Type: Banknote set (circulation notes)
• Countries: Hungary, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Zaire, Greece
• Issuing authorities: Hungarian National Bank, National Bank of Yugoslavia, Banque du Zaïre, Bank of Greece
• Dates: 1944–1993
• Pick numbers: P-125, P-134, P-137, P-40, P-128

✅ Condition Guide:
Grades are given per note in the list above. VF (Very Fine): shows clear signs of circulation, such as several folds, minor edge wear and some loss of crispness, while remaining fully intact with clear design details. AUNC (About Uncirculated): nearly uncirculated, with only very light handling such as a soft corner or a faint bend. As we hold multiple examples, the notes you receive may differ slightly from the ones photographed, but will be in the same grades.