In September 1987 the authorities in Myanmar suddenly announced that most of the banknotes in circulation in the country were invalid.

The decision, made without warning, had been ordered more or less on a whim by Myanmar's leader General Ne Win. He was a superstitious man and withdrew all 25, 35, and 75 kyat notes because they were not divisible by nine.

Farhana Haider reports on the chaos that ensued.

(Photo: AFP/Getty Images)