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Zambian kwacha

The story behind Zambian kwacha.

Years
Under research
Where
Africa
Family
Sterling
Status
In use

The Bank of Zambia dates the kwacha's rebasing by a factor of 1,000 to January 1, 2013.1

A fuller story is under research.

Timeline

Currency code: ZMW

  1. Decimal currency introduction reported

    The same table dates the kwacha to January 16, 1968, at two original-scale kwacha per Zambian pound.2

  2. Redenominated as

    One 2013-scale unit equals 1,000 original-scale units.34

Coins and notes

Images are under research. Each image will carry its caption, collection credit and public-domain or CC0 license.

How do we know?

Zambian pound → Zambian kwacha

Documented decimal currency replacement · 16 January 1968, institutional metadata

Two 1968-scale kwacha per Zambian pound. This rate must not be applied directly to 2013-scale ZMW.2

Verbatim source excerpt under research. The linked notes identify the source and passage supporting this connection.

Full connection evidence →

Complete evidence record →
Legal history and sources

The Bank of Zambia dates the kwacha's rebasing by a factor of 1,000 to 1 January 2013.1

The same table dates the kwacha to 16 January 1968, at two original-scale kwacha per Zambian pound.2

It dates the 2013 rescaling to 1 January at one new kwacha for one thousand old kwacha, corroborating the previously inspected Bank of Zambia annual report.3

The 2013 rebasing is modeled as a unit-epoch change within the Zambian kwacha continuity; the pound-to-kwacha transition remains a separate predecessor conversion.4

Source notes

  1. Bank of Zambia · Annual Report 2019

    Printed p.140 / PDF p.158, exchange-rate table footnote

  2. Deutsche Bundesbank · Metadata on the Exchange Rate Statistics, 24 September 2025 — Zambia entry

    Zambia, Currency history, PDF p.269

  3. Deutsche Bundesbank · Metadata on the Exchange Rate Statistics, 24 September 2025 — Zambia entry

    Zambia, Currency history, PDF p.269; compare C578/S312

  4. Deutsche Bundesbank · Metadata on the Exchange Rate Statistics, 24 September 2025 — Zambia entry

    1968 and 2013 Currency history rows; editorial identity decision

Full claim history and source register →

Cite this currency

“Zambian kwacha.” The Family Tree of Money. Field Technologies, Inc. Data v49; accessed 14 October 2026.

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