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[[folder:Web Video]]

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[[folder:Web Video]]Videos]]
* ''WebVideo/WelcomeBackPotter'': Turns out that Wizarding-Britain's currency isn't worth the gold it's made from in America, Jarry having emptied out his family's vault before running away, only to having it collecting dust in their apartment.
--> '''Jarry:''' No one here takes 'em. Not even Disneyland and shit. ''Jamba Juice'' won't take these fuckers.

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* {{Subverted}} in a ComicBook/DisneyDucksComicUniverse story: at the end of a grueling job for Scrooge Donald is paid a princely sum in Confederate dollars that he gives to the Nephews so at least they can play with them, only for them to mention they have Confederate money in hearing range of a Confederate nostalgic who is willing to pay a large sum to have them.

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* ComicBook/DisneyDucksComicUniverse:
**
{{Subverted}} in a ComicBook/DisneyDucksComicUniverse one story: at the end of a grueling job for Scrooge Donald is paid a princely sum in Confederate dollars that he gives to the Nephews so at least they can play with them, only for them to mention they have Confederate money in hearing range of a Confederate nostalgic who is willing to pay a large sum to have them.them.
** In another, Scrooge realizes the Beagle Boys are trying to break into the Bin, but after doing some calculations, seems uncharacteristically okay with letting them carry out the heist. They extract a large quantity of coins... which they can't spend anywhere, because it's a completely worthless currency. (They can't even throw them away because it would be littering.) Scrooge knew exactly where they were since he remembers every single coin he keeps in the bin, and knew they wouldn't take anything of actual monetary value. He actually ends up taking the coins back for a pittance (the Boys would have had to ''pay'' to have the junk disposed of otherwise) and used them in his new outdoors money pool.
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Usually this applies to the currencies of no-longer-existing governments, such as Confederacy dollars or Reichmarks, or governments that don't exist yet. It can occur when society and governments collapse due to a zombie apocalypse or AlienInvasion. It also might just be a scam.

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Usually this applies to the currencies of no-longer-existing governments, such as Confederacy dollars or Reichmarks, or governments that don't exist yet. It can occur [[{{After the End}} when society and governments collapse collapse]] due to a zombie apocalypse ZombieApocalypse or AlienInvasion. It also might just be a scam.
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Most national currencies these days might not be [[PracticalCurrency directly useful]] for much, except maybe as [[MoneyToBurn firelighters]], but it's still generally accepted that most vendors will accept them as payment for goods and services. You might [[RidiculousFutureInflation need a lot]], or need to [[RidiculousExchangeRates exchange one country's money for another]], but the cash is worth something. Not so with this currency.

Usually this applies to the currencies of no-longer-existing governments, such as Confederacy dollars or Reichmarks, or governments that don't exist yet. It can occur when society collapses due to a zombie apocalypse or AlienInvasion. It also might just be a scam.

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Most national currencies these days might not be [[PracticalCurrency directly useful]] for much, except maybe as [[MoneyToBurn firelighters]], but it's still generally accepted that most vendors will accept them as payment for goods and services. You might [[RidiculousFutureInflation need a lot]], lot]] due to hyperinflation, or need to [[RidiculousExchangeRates exchange one country's money for another]], but the cash is worth something. Not so with this currency.

Usually this applies to the currencies of no-longer-existing governments, such as Confederacy dollars or Reichmarks, or governments that don't exist yet. It can occur when society collapses and governments collapse due to a zombie apocalypse or AlienInvasion. It also might just be a scam.
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Zombie apocalypse
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Zombie apocalypse


Usually this applies to the currencies of no-longer-existing governments, such as Confederacy dollars or Reichmarks, or governments that don't exist yet. It also might just be a scam.

to:

Usually this applies to the currencies of no-longer-existing governments, such as Confederacy dollars or Reichmarks, or governments that don't exist yet. It can occur when society collapses due to a zombie apocalypse or AlienInvasion. It also might just be a scam.
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[[caption-width-right:350:The inflation rates make using money cents-less.]]

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[[caption-width-right:350:The inflation rates make using money cents-less.[[{{Pun}} cents-less]].]]
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* Subverted in the case of Confederate dollars. Confederate currency in circulation became worthless entirely by 1865 as they had been backed by nothing but the promise of repayment when the Confederacy won, which obviously never happened. However, the bills themselves have become a sought-after item for collectors, even the Union-made CounterfeitCash that was intended to sabotage the Confederacy's economy (it didn't actually do that much sabotaging because their economy was already suffering from very high inflation).

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* Subverted in a particular way in the case of Confederate dollars. Confederate currency in circulation became worthless entirely by 1865 as they had been backed by nothing but the promise of repayment when the Confederacy won, which obviously never happened. However, the bills themselves have become a sought-after item for collectors, even the Union-made CounterfeitCash that was intended to sabotage the Confederacy's economy (it didn't actually do that much sabotaging because their economy was already suffering from very high inflation).
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* Subverted in the case of Confederate dollars. Confederate currency in circulation became worthless entirely by 1865 as they had been backed by nothing but the promise of repayment when the Confederacy won, which obviously never happened. However, the bills themselves have become a sought-after item for collectors, even the Union-made CounterfeitCash that was intended to sabotage the Confederacy's economy (it didn't actually do that much sabotaging because their economy was already suffering from very high inflation).
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Compare GlobalCurrencyException, which is mostly a video game trope, and WorthlessYellowRocks, where a priceless rare material to one party is completely worthless to another who has an over-abundance. If it still has ''some'' value go to RidiculousExchangeRates or RidiculousFutureInflation. This trope is sometimes used to put the "worthless" in a WorthlessTreasureTwist.

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A specific example of MoneyIsNotPower, since here it's a particular currency that has no value rather than money in general being worthless in a situation. Compare GlobalCurrencyException, which is mostly a video game trope, and WorthlessYellowRocks, where a priceless rare material to one party is completely worthless to another who has an over-abundance. If it still has ''some'' value go to RidiculousExchangeRates or RidiculousFutureInflation. This trope is sometimes used to put the "worthless" in a WorthlessTreasureTwist.

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* In the ''Series/{{Minder}}'' episode "Bury My Heart At Walham Green," Arthur Daley helps an old lag find his hidden loot in return for a 25% cut. However, Arthur's cut consists of £1 notes, which, by that time, have been replaced by the £1 "gold" coin. To make things worse, the time limit on changing the notes for coins had expired.



* In ''Series/TheTwilightZone1959'' episode "[[Recap/TheTwilightZoneS3E66Two Two]]", the man finds money in a cash register in the ruined city, but discards it since it is worthless in the aftermath of the war that destroyed his civilization.



* In the ''Series/{{Minder}}'' episode "Bury My Heart At Walham Green," Arthur Daley helps an old lag find his hidden loot in return for a 25% cut. However, Arthur's cut consists of £1 notes, which, by that time, have been replaced by the £1 "gold" coin. To make things worse, the time limit on changing the notes for coins had expired.
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** In ''Anime/FullmetalAlchemistTheConquerorOfShamballa'': A group of Gypsies are paid in francs due to the hyperinflation of the marks taking place in WeimarRepublic Germany.

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** In ''Anime/FullmetalAlchemistTheConquerorOfShamballa'': A group of Gypsies are paid in francs due to the hyperinflation of the marks mark taking place in WeimarRepublic UsefulNotes/WeimarRepublic Germany.
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** In ''Anime/FullmetalAlchemistTheConquerorOfShamballa'': A group of Gypsies are paid in francs due to the hyperinflation of the marks taking place in WeimarRepublic Germany.
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* {{Subverted}} in a ComicBook/DisneyDucksComicUniverse story: at the end of a grueling job for Scrooge Donald is paid a princely sum in Confederate dollars that he gives to the Nephews so at least they can play with them, only for them to mention they have Confederate money in hearing range of a Confederate nostalgic who is willing to pay a large sum to have them.
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* PlayedForLaughs in ''VideoGame/AHatInTime'' a couple of times:
** When you infiltrate the Mafia headquarters there's plenty of slot machines to try, but none of them work since they only take local currency and all you have are pons, which are worthless here except to the [[HumanoidAbomination Badge Vendor]].
** In the Nyakuza Metro DLC, The Empress throws wads of cash at you after each act rather than letting you keep the Time Piece you found. However, everyone in the Metro ''only'' accepts pons so it's only about as valuable as the paper it's printed on. At the end of the level, Hat Kid has an entire worthless pile of money on her ship collecting dust which she has no idea whatsoever what to do with.
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* In ''Film/TheFuries'' (1950), the egotistical rancher "T. C." Jeffords pays for his debts using "T.C." notes instead of dollars. His daughter Vance [[HatesTheirParent undermines his wealthy]] by buying up the notes, and once they're worthless hands over a crate of them as a 'loan'.

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* In ''Film/TheFuries'' (1950), the egotistical rancher "T. C." Jeffords pays for his debts using "T.C." notes instead of dollars. His daughter Vance [[HatesTheirParent undermines his wealthy]] wealth]] by buying up the notes, and once they're worthless hands over a crate of them as a 'loan'.
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* Inverted in ''Film/TheResistanceBanker''. To maintain accounts on the people who have donated money to LaResistance, yet not leave evidence that can enable to German occupiers to identify them, Walraven issues them worthless stock from Czarist Russia which no-one will pay attention to, yet can be handed in for reimbursement after the war.

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* Inverted An ExploitedTrope in ''Film/TheResistanceBanker''. To maintain accounts on the people who have donated money to LaResistance, yet not leave evidence that can enable to German occupiers to identify them, Walraven issues them worthless stock from Czarist Russia which no-one will pay attention to, yet can be handed in for reimbursement after the war.
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[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
* Downplayed in ''TabletopGame/{{Abyss}}''. Pearls are very useful in the game, as they allow you to recruit Lords even if the Allies you have aren't valuable enough to pay its full cost. However, they are completely worthless at the end of most games, as they aren't worth any Influence Points and are only used to resolve ties. To make matters worse, the ''Kraken'' ExpansionPack introduces Nebulis, which are ''worse'' than worthless at that point -- they cost you an IP each at the end of the game, and an additional 5 if you have the most of them!
* Downplayed in ''TabletopGame/SevenWonders'' and its two-player spinoff ''7 Wonders Duel''. Having a comfortable stack of cash is useful during the game to pay for coin costs and resources you don't have enough of. However, they are much better spent than kept, because at the end of the game they are worth very little in terms of victory points (unless you have an effect that grants extra VP for them).
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** In "One Coarse Meal", Mr. Krabs is shown to pay [=SpongeBob=] in "Wacky Bucks", which have Mr. Krabs in the center and "Not Legal Tender" written at the bottom.

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* Subverted in ''VideoGame/StrongBadsCoolGameForAttractivePeople'' episode "Strongbadia The Free". When Strong Bad finds that The Cheat had drawn all over fake money from a board game, he takes it, calls it Strongbadian currency "Qesos", and trades 100 in to Bubs for a Broken Strong Bad figure listed at half off. Despite it being board game money, Bubs considers the amount that Strong Bad is paying to be more than a million "Poopies".

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* Subverted {{Subverted|Trope}} in ''VideoGame/StrongBadsCoolGameForAttractivePeople'' episode "Strongbadia The the Free". When Strong Bad finds that The Cheat had drawn all over fake money from a board game, he takes it, calls it Strongbadian currency "Qesos", and trades 100 in to Bubs for a Broken broken Strong Bad figure listed at half off. Despite it being board game money, Bubs considers the amount that Strong Bad is paying to be more than a million "Poopies".



* Exaggerated at the end of the ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'' episode "Irrational Treasure," when Quentin Trembley gives Dipper a negative twelve dollar bill with Trembley's face on it as a parting gift. Looking at the text on the bill, you can see it's not legal tender.

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* Exaggerated In ''WesternAnimation/TheAdventuresOfJimmyNeutronBoyGenius'' episode "Sheen's Brain", Jimmy amplifies Sheen's intelligence, which eventually leads to Sheen turning into an EvilGenius [[AGodAmI with a god complex]]. When Sheen goes to the Candy Bar and uses his newfound intelligence to win a JarOfJellybeansContest, Sam is incredulous that he was able to solve it without cheating because he came in the other day and tried to pay in seashells.
* {{Exaggerated|Trope}}
at the end of the ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'' episode "Irrational Treasure," when Quentin Trembley gives Dipper a negative twelve dollar bill with Trembley's face on it as a parting gift. Looking at the text on the bill, you can see it's not legal tender.



* ''WesternAnimation/RegularShow'': This is a bit of a RunningGag (even dating all the way back to the creator's student film, ''The Naive Man from Lolliland'') with Pops who comes from Loliland and thus the currency there is lollipops, or he might just be a {{Cloudcuckoolander}}. So when Mordecai and Rigby ask for money or he offers to pay himself, his money is worthless.
* ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooWhereAreYou'': Scooby-Doo, upon completing a challenge to stay a whole night in a "haunted" house, inherits a large sum of money from the late challenger. However, it is revealed that the money is all Confederate dollars, rendering it worthless in post-Civil War United States. However, some viewers have pointed out that while the confederate money can't be used for payment, they are rather valuable collectibles.
* In the ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' episode, "Scott Tenorman Must Die" Cartman is conned into buying a teenager's pubic hair, believing it will grant him puberty. He becomes quite vengeful after the other boys inform him he is meant to grow his own pubes. With no money left, Cartman attempts to purchase a film ticket in "pubes":

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* ''WesternAnimation/RegularShow'': This is a bit of a RunningGag (even dating all the way back to the creator's student film, ''The Naive Man from Lolliland'') with Pops who comes from Loliland Lolliland and thus the currency there is lollipops, or he might just be a {{Cloudcuckoolander}}. So when Mordecai and Rigby ask for money or he offers to pay himself, his money is worthless.
* ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooWhereAreYou'': Scooby-Doo, upon completing a challenge to stay a whole night in a "haunted" house, inherits a large sum of money from the late challenger. However, [[WorthlessTreasureTwist it is revealed that the money is all Confederate dollars, rendering it worthless in post-Civil War United States. States]]. However, some viewers have pointed out that while the confederate Confederate money can't be used for payment, they are rather valuable collectibles.
* In the ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' episode, episode "Scott Tenorman Must Die" Die", Cartman is conned into buying a teenager's pubic hair, believing it will grant him puberty. He becomes quite vengeful after the other boys inform him he is meant to grow his own pubes. With no money left, Cartman attempts to purchase a film ticket in "pubes":



-->'''Squidward:''' ''(holding a handful of bubble coins)'' [[SarcasmMode At least they left a tip]].\\

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-->'''Squidward:''' --->'''Squidward:''' ''(holding a handful of bubble coins)'' [[SarcasmMode At least they left a tip]].\\



* A [[ZigZaggedTrope zig-zagged]] example from real life: Music/LilyAllen [[https://twitter.com/lilyallen/status/419942070770741249 tweeted]] that in 2009 when cryptocurrencies were new, she declined an anonymous fan's offer of over 200,000 [[UsefulNotes/{{Bitcoin}} bitcoin]] for an online concert: an amount that had no real-life value then, but would be worth almost £1.5 billion (~$2 billion US) now, making this a massive and painful [[SubvertedTrope subversion]]. However, it's speculated that since bitcoin was so new at the time that no one except its creator would've had that many, the offer might have actually been in VideoGame/SecondLife's FictionalCurrency Linden Dollars, in which case it would be a straight example since those are still worth nothing today.

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* A [[ZigZaggedTrope [[ZigZaggingTrope zig-zagged]] example from real life: Music/LilyAllen [[https://twitter.com/lilyallen/status/419942070770741249 tweeted]] that in 2009 when cryptocurrencies were new, she declined an anonymous fan's offer of over 200,000 [[UsefulNotes/{{Bitcoin}} bitcoin]] for an online concert: an amount that had no real-life value then, but would be worth almost £1.5 billion (~$2 billion US) now, making this a massive and painful [[SubvertedTrope subversion]]. However, it's speculated that since bitcoin was so new at the time that no one except its creator would've had that many, the offer might have actually been in VideoGame/SecondLife's FictionalCurrency Linden Dollars, in which case it would be a straight example since those are still worth nothing today.
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* In ''Film/TheFuries'' (1950), the egotistical rancher "T. C." Jeffords pays for his debts using "T.C." notes instead of dollars. His daughter Vance [[HatesTheirParent undermines his wealthy]] by buying up the notes, and once they're worthless hands over a crate of them as a 'loan'.
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* In an early mission in ''VideoGame/JustCause2'', while Rico is buying some information from an informant, Panau is implied to have this kind of currency.
-->'''Informant:''' A pleasure doing business with you.\\
'''Rico:''' [[DeadpanSnarker Considering the value of the Panauan buck, shooting you would have been more expensive.]]
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[[folder:Web Video]]
* In ''WebAnimation/ZeroPunctuation'' Yahtzee takes issue with ''VideoGame/IAmSetsuna'' being tagged as "story-rich".
--> ''You don't get "story-rich" by mugging'' VideoGame/FinalFantasyX, ''and ''Final Fantasy X'' was only story rich in Zimbabwean Dollars anyway.''
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* The Creator/BobHope and Creator/BingCrosby movie ''[[Film/RoadTo Road To Utopia]]'' has Bing, having swindled some money out of drunks in their crooked theater show, discarding some of it because it is "Confederate ten spots"; remarking that "[[HypocriticalHumor some people can be so crooked]]."

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* The Creator/BobHope and Creator/BingCrosby movie ''[[Film/RoadTo Road To Utopia]]'' ''Film/RoadToUtopia'' has Bing, having swindled some money out of drunks in their crooked theater show, discarding some of it because it is "Confederate ten spots"; remarking that "[[HypocriticalHumor some people can be so crooked]]."
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** In the episode "[[Recap/SpongeBobSquarePantsS2E3BigPinkLoserBubbleBuddy Bubble Buddy]]", after [=SpongeBob=] has Squidward make a complicated order for the titular character when they go to the Krusty Krab for lunch, hey pays Mr. Krabs on Bubble Buddy's behalf with Bubble Money, which immediately pops after they leave.

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** In the episode "[[Recap/SpongeBobSquarePantsS2E3BigPinkLoserBubbleBuddy Bubble Buddy]]", after [=SpongeBob=] has Squidward make a complicated order for the titular character when they go to the Krusty Krab for lunch, hey he pays Mr. Krabs on Bubble Buddy's behalf with Bubble Money, which immediately pops after they leave.
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** In the episode "[[Recap/SpongeBobSquarePantsS2E3BigPinkLoserBubbleBuddy Bubble Buddy]]", after [=SpongeBob=] has Squidward make a complicated order for the titular character when they go to the Krusty Krab for lunch, [=SpongeBob=] pays Mr. Krabs on Bubble Buddy's behalf with Bubble Money, which immediately pops after they leave.
-->'''Squidward:''' ''(holding a handful of bubble coins)'' At least they left a tip.\\

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** In the episode "[[Recap/SpongeBobSquarePantsS2E3BigPinkLoserBubbleBuddy Bubble Buddy]]", after [=SpongeBob=] has Squidward make a complicated order for the titular character when they go to the Krusty Krab for lunch, [=SpongeBob=] hey pays Mr. Krabs on Bubble Buddy's behalf with Bubble Money, which immediately pops after they leave.
-->'''Squidward:''' ''(holding a handful of bubble coins)'' [[SarcasmMode At least they left a tip.tip]].\\

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** In the "[[Recap/SpongeBobSquarePantsS2E3BigPinkLoserBubbleBuddy Bubble Buddy]]" episode, [=SpongeBob=] pays on Bubble Buddy's behalf with money made out of bubbles, which immediately pops after they leave the Krusty Krab.

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** In the episode "[[Recap/SpongeBobSquarePantsS2E3BigPinkLoserBubbleBuddy Bubble Buddy]]" episode, Buddy]]", after [=SpongeBob=] has Squidward make a complicated order for the titular character when they go to the Krusty Krab for lunch, [=SpongeBob=] pays Mr. Krabs on Bubble Buddy's behalf with money made out of bubbles, Bubble Money, which immediately pops after they leave the Krusty Krab.leave.
-->'''Squidward:''' ''(holding a handful of bubble coins)'' At least they left a tip.\\
''(The bubble coins pop)''
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** ''WesternAnimation/TheSpongeBobSquarePantsMovie'': When Spongebob is cornered by an assassin-for-hire, he tries to bribe the criminal with "Goober Dollars", fake currency that can be exchanged for snacks in certain junk food restaurants.

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** ''WesternAnimation/TheSpongeBobSquarePantsMovie'': When Spongebob [=SpongeBob=] is cornered by an assassin-for-hire, he tries to bribe the criminal with "Goober Dollars", fake currency that can be exchanged for snacks in certain junk food restaurants.
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* In ''Literature/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy'' it's mentioned that the galaxy has three major currencies, all of which are useless.
** The Altairian dollar has recently collapsed.
** The Flanian Pobble Bead is only exchangeable for other Flanian Pobble Beads.
** The Triganic Pu is technically useful, having an exchange rate of eight Ningis to one Pu. However the Ningi is a triangular rubber coin 6800 miles long on each side meaning that no one has ever managed to collect enough of them to own one Pu (Ningi's are useless as currency because the banks refuse to deal in small change).
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* ''Series/TheBeverlyHillbillies": In the episode "His Royal Highness", the deposed King Alexander of Sabalia had suitcases full of Glotny's - identified by Miss Hathaway's guide to world currencies as completely worthless.

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* ''Series/TheBeverlyHillbillies": ''Series/TheBeverlyHillbillies'': In the episode "His Royal Highness", the deposed King Alexander of Sabalia had suitcases full of Glotny's - identified by Miss Hathaway's guide to world currencies as completely worthless.

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