Myth #19: Transnistria uses plastic coins for money



Well, yes and no.

Let’s call this one partially mythologized.

While it is technically true that Pridnestrovie has money that’s made out of plastic, what they’ve created is actually pretty amazing.

The Pridnestrovian next-gen ruble “coin” is a true technological marvel. These rubles are made out of an advanced polycarbonate material that is virtually unbreakable.

They’re only 1.2 millimeters thick, and yet I cannot bend one, not even slightly. That’s how strong these things are. And they weigh almost nothing.

Unbreak my numismatic heart

Besides just being all-around cool, there’s also a really interesting back story to these “coins.”

Each one has a strikingly different color. There are four denominations, and each one is a different basic shape (triangle, square, hexagon, and pentagon).

They were intentionally designed so that visually impaired and blind people can easily use them. And I think that was a really kind and thoughtful thing to do.

Get your plastic coins offa my lawn!

Pridnestrovie is a pretty hilarious country, and the funny thing is that most of the senior citizens hate the plastic money. Even though it was designed primarily for their convenience.

The “plastic coins” were issued in 2014 and are still in circulation, but newer notes were printed in the old style paper “bill” way.

If you visit Pridnestrovie, be sure to get some of these amazingly cool polycarbonate rubles!

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