TO HONOUR the dead, the Vietnamese sometimes burn fake banknotes, made out of "votive paper", for the deceased to spend on the other side. Vietnam's government recently complained that this votive money looked too similar to the real thing. Unfortunately the resemblance runs deeper than that. Over the past year the value of Vietnam's official currency-the dong-has been steadily going up in smoke. Consumer prices rose by 17.5% in the year to April, outstripped only in Ethiopia and Venezuela. The dong has been devalued against the dollar six times since June 2008 (see chart). The Vietnamese have flocked to more reliable stores of value. Those hoping to salvage their savings from the ashes can buy 37.5-gram bars of fine gold, embossed with a Phoenix, from the Phu Nhuan Jewelry Store. Above one Hanoi branch, a digital display shows the price: 38470,000 dong. There is space only for the first five digits.
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