Disney ditches the dollar

Mickey Mouse is getting out of the currency business.

Walt Disney (DIS) this month announced it would no longer publish and sell its own currency: The Disney dollar. The move ends the life of the global entertainment giant's paper form of payment - and has set up a frenzy on eBay (EBAY) for collectors hoping to grab the colorful currency before it becomes even more scarce.

Disney has sold its own currency since 1987, turning it into an instantly recognizable and legitimate form of money within the Disney universe. Disney dollars have their own anti-counterfeiting printing and can be used to buy goods and services in all U.S. Disney parks, cruise ships and cruise lines.

But the rise of plastic. especially giftcards, hasn't been kind to the Disney dollar. Now the currency is relegated to being a sought-after collectible for the company's fans to purchase and trade. Disney stopped selling the currency on May 14, 2016 but will continue to accept it as there's no expiration date on the bills. Most of the Disney dollars come in a dollar and five-dollar denominations, but there was a special edition $50 bill issued on the Disneyland's 50th anniversary in 2005.

"It’s a testimony to the enthusiasm and heart of Disney guests and collectors that Disney Dollars remain collectible today. We continue to offer many ways to collect cherished Disney memories in tangible ways,” according to a statement from Disneyland spokeswoman Suzi Brown.

Collectors didn't waste time any looking to grab Disney dollars before they're gone. A 2013-issued $1 Disney dollar bill featuring a character "101 Dalmations" and signed by Scrooge McDuck Monday sold Monday for $54.95. That works out to a 5,395% gain - which tops the 100% gain by Disney stock during the same time and 43% gain by the Standard & Poor's 500.

That's a return that would have investors dreaming.

Follow Matt Krantz @mattkrantz