The Archive
Every reconstruction, newest first.
Documented events, rebuilt from the record.
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Soviet Union, January 1991: Three Days to Exchange the Large Notes
At midnight on 23 January 1991, Soviet 50- and 100-ruble notes stopped being legal tender. The exchange window and its limits, dated and sourced.
3 min read
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Northern Rock, September 2007: Queues at the Counter, Strain on the Website
Northern Rock, 13 to 18 September 2007: queues at a thin branch network while most withdrawals went online, by phone and by post.
3 min read
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Iceland, October 2008: Payments Held at Home and Stalled at the Border
Iceland's three largest banks failed in October 2008. Payments inside the country kept moving; payments to and from abroad stalled.
3 min read
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Greece, June 2015: Sixty Euros at the Machine, a Queue at the Counter
Greek branches shut on 29 June 2015 and reopened on 20 July. The 60 euro machine limit, the pension counters and the cards, dated and sourced.
4 min read
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Cyprus, March 2013: The Machines Ran, the Branches Stayed Shut
Banks closed on 16 March 2013 and reopened at noon on 28 March 2013. What happened in between, dated and sourced.
3 min read
The premise
Only what was published at the time.
Documented events, rebuilt from the record.
Get each reconstruction by email.