What is the highest face value of any currency vechicle? Meaning what
is the highest legal tender value of any coin or banknote - and which
country or government produced it?  This does not mean the currency
vehicle has to be in regular circulation - I simply wonder what the
highest face value for a bank note and / or coin has been.

Dear zmas,

The currency vehicle with the highest denomination ever assigned to
legal tender was an Hungarian banknote in 1946. During a period of
hyperinflation, banknotes were printed with the enormous face value of
1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 Pengö - that is one milliard billions
(if you count the British way), respectively one billion trillions
(for the Americans). These "Egymilliàrd B.-Pengö" notes were indeed
intended for circulation, but they were not issued anymore since the
inflation was ended on 31 July 1946 by replacing the worthless Pengö
with the new Forint currency.

While this "Egymilliàrd B.-Pengö" remained unissued, the Hungarian
hyperinflation of 1946 also produced the banknote with the highest
face value ever really issued: The 100,000,000,000,000,000,000 Pengö
note, "Szàzmilliò B.-Pengö". It was worth about 20 US-Cents then.

You can see both notes by following these links:

Tom Chao's Paper Money Gallery: 1 Milliard B-Pengo, 1946
http://tomchao.com/eu/hung2.html

Tom Chao's Paper Money Gallery: 100 Million B-Pengo, 1946
http://tomchao.com/eu/hung1.html



Sources:

Tom Chao's Paper Money Gallery: Trivia
http://tomchao.com/trivia.html

Studium Magazine: Lessons Yet Unlearned - Collecting Inflationary Currency
http://www.studium.com/3/inflation.html

WordIQ: Hyperinflation
http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Hyperinflation

Numismatica: What is the highest denomination note ever created or issued?
http://www.limunltd.com/numismatica/paper-money-faq/paper-money-faq-4.10.html

Search terms used:
hungary hyperinflation pengö forint 1946
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pengö highest
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"largest denomination" inflation
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hyperinflation pengo highest
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highest pengo 1946 
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hungary inflation 1946
://www.google.de/search?q=hungary+inflation+1946&hl=de&lr=&ie=UTF-8&newwindow=1&start=0&sa=N


Hope this answers your question!
Regards,
Scriptor

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Request for Answer Clarification by zmas-ga on 19 Sep 2004 10:38 PDT

You are right about hyperinflation - sorry I didn't think of that easy
answer.  Would you be able to restate your answer please in terms of a
non-inflationary times when normal economic factors of global
economies existed or exist, in other during stable times -what is/was
the highest currency vehicle used in such normal times?

---

Clarification of Answer by scriptor-ga on 19 Sep 2004 11:41 PDT

Dear zmas,

I believe I have answered your original question accurately. Since
your new inquiry will require quite a bit of additional research, I
suggest that you post it as a separate question.

Best regards,
Scriptor