Philippine government officials printed the largest legal tender banknote in global history in 1998, a massive piece of paper larger than a standard sheet of typing paper that was intended to celebrate their centennial.

A closer look

Philippine government officials printed the largest legal tender banknote in global history in 1998, a massive piece of paper larger than a standard sheet of typing paper that was intended to celebrate their centennial. Valued at one hundred thousand pesos, the bill was completely useless for actual commerce because virtually no merchant on the entire island nation had enough physical change in their cash register to break it. It was ultimately a pure vanity project by the government to flex their sovereign printing capabilities, completely ignoring the fundamental economic principle that money actually needs to fit inside a person's wallet to be useful. Nothing quite says 'thriving national economy' like issuing a novelty giant check that you can literally frame and hang on your wall!