Type details
| Country | South Africa |
| Currency | South African Pound |
| Denomination | 1 Pound / 100 Dollars |
| Series year | 2020 |
| Issue year | 2020 |
| Issuer | Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe |
| Issuer (native) | Suid-Afrikaanse Reserwebank |
| Signatures | Governor: (signature visible but name illegible) |
| Reverse subject | Balancing Rocks |
| Themes | wildlife,architecture |
| Security features | hologram,microprint,intaglio |
| Colour palette | #f5deb3,#8b7355,#4a4a4a |
| Material | paper |
| Language / script | Latin |
| Languages | en,af |
| Legal status | withdrawn |
| Successor currency | South African Rand |
| Era | 1990_present |
Front
The front features the heraldic Zimbabwe Bird (Hungwe) holding a fasces or bundle of reeds — a stylized representation of the national symbol derived from soapstone bird sculptures found at Great Zimbabwe. The denomination appears as both 'ONE POUND' and 'EEN POND' (Afrikaans), with elaborate guilloche patterns framing the central motif. This note represents an unusual dual-denomination design combining historical British colonial pound nomenclature with contemporary Zimbabwean dollar valuation.
Back
Balancing Rocks formation, one of Zimbabwe's most iconic geological features found in Matobo National Park near Bulawayo. These naturally balanced granite rock formations have become a symbol of Zimbabwe and appear on the country's currency and coat of arms. The denomination is expressed as '100 DOLLARS' with 'RESERVE BANK OF ZIMBABWE' as the issuer. The date 'HARARE 2020' appears at bottom left, indicating the year and place of issue.
History
This is a highly unusual and problematic note. The front displays '1 POUND' (in English and Afrikaans 'EEN POND'), suggesting either a colonial-era Rhodesian design or a fantasy/commemorative piece, while the back clearly shows '100 DOLLARS' issued by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe dated 2020. The two sides appear fundamentally incompatible: the pound sterling has not been Zimbabwe's currency since Rhodesia became Zimbabwe in 1980, and no legitimate 2020 Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe issue would reference pounds. This mismatch strongly suggests either: (1) a novelty/fantasy note combining historical and modern elements, (2) a commemorative piece not intended for circulation, or (3) mismatched images of two different notes. Zimbabwe reintroduced the Zimbabwean dollar in 2019 after years of using foreign currencies following hyperinflation (2008–2009) that demonetized previous dollar series. Legitimate 2020 Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe notes exist, but none carry pound denominations. Without additional authentication, this piece cannot be catalogued as a standard circulating issue.
