Monopoly money

''Monopoly'' money (symbol: ) is a type of play money used in the board game ''Monopoly''. It is different from most currencies, including the American currency or British currency upon which it is based, in that it is smaller, one-sided, and does not have different imagery for each denomination.

Format

Many variations of ''Monopoly'' exist, with many types of money representing various currencies. In the more "standard" versions of the game, ''Monopoly'' money consists entirely of notes. ''Monopoly'' notes come in the following colors:

* 1 – white
* 2 – yellow (available in '' Monopoly Junior'')
* 3 – blue (available in ''Monopoly Junior'')
* 4 – green (available in ''Monopoly Junior'')
* 5 – pink
* 10 – yellow (classic) or blue (recent editions)
* 20 – green
* 50 – blue (classic) or purple (recent editions)
* 100 – red (early editions) or beige
* 500 – gold (classic) or orange (recent editions)
* 1,000 (available only in '' Monopoly: The Mega Edition'') – purple (original) or yellow (recent editions)

The modern ''Monopoly'' game has its ''Monopoly'' money denominated in 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500, and (in some editions) 1,000, with all but the last two paralleling the denominations in circulation in the United States. (The US$500 bill and US$1,000 bill were withdrawn in 1969). ''Monopoly'' does not include a two-dollar bill; however, ''Monopoly Junior'' did include the two in addition to three and four denominations (which do not exist in U.S. currency) for many years. (''Monopoly Junior'' later simplified its system to include only one-dollar bills.)

Fans have designed unofficial 1,000 ''Monopoly'' bills for longer games and made them available online.

Special editions and spinoffs (e.g., '' Monopoly Deal'') may use larger denominations.

Since 2008, ''Monopoly'' games have used a ''Monopoly''-specific currency symbol "" of a double struck-through capital letter M, similar to the won sign (₩) flipped upside-down.

As a phrase

''Monopoly'' money is also a derisive term used in multiple senses. The most common is by countries that have traditionally had monochromatic currency banknotes (such as the United States) to refer to countries that have colorful banknotes (such as Canada). This has been used in places such as the "Weird Al" Yankovic song " Canadian Idiot".

It can also be used as a derisive term to refer to money not really worth anything, or at least not being used as if it is worth anything.

References

External links

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{{Monopoly

1930s neologisms
Money
Monopoly (game)
Virtual economies