Zimbabwe's state newspaper says the country's central bank is issuing a $50,000 note to help people before the festive season.
But the measure will likely fuel inflation, which officially stands at 231 million percent.
The new bill is worth about US$270 according to the official exchange rate of Zimbabwe $185 to the U.S. dollar, but more often the parallel rate of Z$4 billion to US$1 is used through the country's black market.
State radio says the new notes were seen on the street before banks opened Monday and says this suggests corruption. Some bank officials are believed to sell the notes to cronies of President Robert Mugabe who are enriching themselves off the political and economic crisis.
