I happen to have 100,000 Iraqi dinars. Will the currency be worth anything after the war? —Moshin Rauf, Lahore, Pakistan
Sadly, they're not worth much even now. Before the first gulf war, one dinar equaled about $3. Now one is worth less than half a penny. So your 100,000 are good for only about 50 cents. And they'll probably be worth even less when the war ends, says Bob Hormats, a Goldman Sachs economist. At some point, the new Iraqi government will likely create a new dinar (without Saddam's picture on it) and allow old ones to be converted, but a war rarely helps the exchange rate. Hurry and sell them on eBay before everyone else does. —Sally Atkinson
Uncommon Knowledge
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