Why are Imperial Credits worthless in the Mandalorian?

Question

In the first episode of the Mandalorian, Mando (or someone else) refuses to accept Imperial credits as a payment as they are worthless. As this is set just after the fall of the Empire, why are Imperial credits already worthless?

Surely the New Republic wouldn't have had time to replace an entire currency, and credits would be just credits afterall. Surely some kind of financial/economic stability would be needed?

Is there a reason for this? Indeed in real life is it common for this to happen?

I can understand when one country invades enough they might switch to the invading countries currency if they "swallowed" the loser. But in this case, the rebellion weren't exactly another state

Answer 1

First of all, The Mandalorian takes place five years after the Return of the Jedi. That's probably more than enough time for even a fledgling Republic to get its own currency off-the-ground. For historical comparison, it took about four years for Israel to adopt its own currency without Spaaaaaace! technology.

But the dialogue ALSO suggests that the credits still have some value, it's just a decision by the individual character not to accept it:

Din Djarin: These are Imperial Credits.

Greef Karga: They still spend.

Din Djarin: I don't know if you heard, but the Empire is gone.

So you're probably right that there's probably still people trading with Imperial credits. But there are still those who would prefer not to be paid in a currency with such low stability and waning use. How would you feel if someone tried to pay you in Venezuelan bolivars?

It's also worth noting that in Phantom Menace we see that Republic credits are considered worthless in Tatooine, and this was when it was the sole galactic power. So there's precedent for the galaxy's seedy elements shying away from even widely adopted currency.

Answer 2

The only Imperials left are holdouts of a failed state.

Five years after the battle of Endor, and right after the battle of Jakku, the Empire surrendered and signed the Galactic Concordance:

Under the terms of the Instruments of Surrender, the Empire was ordered to cease fighting and called for the final disbandment of Palpatine era government, faciliting Amedda stepping down as head of the Empire. Mothma also signed a further declaration classifying all surviving Imperial officers who did not adhere to the terms of surrender as war criminals. However, non-combatant functionaries including Amedda were granted conditional pardons. Under the terms of surrender, the Imperial remnant was also compelled to accede to the demands of the Galactic Concordance, including a ban on the recruitment and mobilization of stormtroopers, the abandonment of the galactic-wide network of Imperial Academies, the surrender of Coruscant to the New Republic, and the confinement of the remaining Imperial Navy to predetermined boundaries in the Core and Inner Rim.

...

Some remaining Imperials refused to adhere to the terms of surrender as was done in the Core Worlds. These Imperial hardliners organized themselves into a separate remnant. While the conflict was never officially reignited, a cold war broke out between those factions. Later, these holdouts would to relocate to the Unknown Regions...

Galactic Concordance

The New Republic may only be a fledgling state at this point, but the Imperial Remnant has almost no influence at this point in the timeline. Thus, no one is going to trust their currency.

Answer 3

If currency isn't backed by precious metal it's backed by guarantee, debt or some sort of mutual credit assurance. Post-Endor, the Empire has fallen to dissolution and it's currency is backed or accepted in Empire controlled worlds, Bounty hunters and vagabonds of the galaxy don't travel to Imperial worlds much except to conduct their illicit/questionable affairs so another source of payment is needed. In Star Wars series various characters, groups don't accept legitimate government currency, especially electronic payment for fear of reprisal, denial or tracking or it's inherited value in backwater worlds or lack of legal bank/accounts. Instead preferring to be paid in valuable commodity (Spice, precious metal, jewels, Beskar, etc), an accepted currency in a jurisdiction they frequent, Live.