Always Smiling Amphibian Featured on Mexican Money Is So Cute it’s Being Hoarded and Never Spent

It’s always interesting to see what images states put on their money.

Mexico recently redesigned its 50 peso note with the image of a perpetually smiling amphibian found only in the country called the axolotl, and it’s become so well loved it’s being hoarded.

Thomas Graeme at the Guardian brought the story to light that a report from the Mexican government detailed how some $150 million worth of 50 peso notes are out of circulation at any given time.

The reason, he wrote on Friday, was simple: they loved the design, which featured an emblazonment of “Gorda,” an axolotl that lived at a Mexico City museum. The note was so well done, it actually won Note of the Year at the International Bank Note Society. Only 12% of surveyed hoarders said they hoarded a copy of every Mexican note; p