Did he buy actual physical script? If so he probably can sell it on ebay as a collectible/gift/etc.
If not he is probably SOL. There isn't a currency in the world I'd invest in right now. When you invest in a fiat currency you are just hoping the invested in currency depreciates slower than the other currencies around it. So in the previous example; if it DOES go back to 1317$ worth 5 years from now - how much would those dollars buy you in 2017?
Invest in productive assets or tangible goods that hold value.
Except for maybe the singapore dollar I can't even fathom investing in an international currency.
Edit: Disclaimer: my post is just hypothetical and should in no way be taken as actual investment advice.:-D
Rgoziner,
I see your point that does need to be taken into when discussing values, but I disagree that it is necessarily relevant to investing.
No matter what we invest in inflation will take a deleterious toll on our buying power. It is an environmental constant that will affect everything we invest in!
Say for example I invest in a tangible asset of guns. I invest $1,000 in firearms. In five years they are worth $1,250 on the open market, so my investment has increased by $250. What that total value of $1,250 will buy if sold due to inflation in 2017 terms does not matter. I would face the same question if I invested in mutual funds, stocks, foreign currency, gold, silver, everything!
Now some investments are overall better than others as they may grow tax deferred or even tax free, so the $1,000 investment we make today will have a markedly different yield from one choice to the other, but the buying power is not relevant as we will all face that issue no matter what we invest in.
The buying power does need to be factored in when setting a goal for buying something or maintaining a standard of living, so do not take this as my blowing off the concept. It is one (1) of the many variables that should be looked at when planning to invest long term.
As to your point of "invest in goods that hold value" I agree that investments such as these should be part of a portfolio. They should actually be the foundation of an investment portfolio. However, we are then trading off potentially higher yields for the "safer" investment of "holding value."
This is why good investment advisers need to know a heck of a lot about the person they are advising. While a 25 year old client may be able to accept greater risk in growth stocks and survive an economic downturn over the next 40 years, a 60 year old client would not be a good candidate for taking the risks, as their time is much more limited and the potential negatives would have a greater impact.
As an afterthought what is truly important is what the friend is investing for!!!???
Is he 30 years old and investing for retirement? If so, then I might venture to guess that investing $5k in the Iranian Rial is potentially a great deal: it is extremely cheap and has a great growth potential in 37 years when the friend will be able to retire with full SS benefits, presuming SS still exists.
However, if he is wanting to invest some money now and make a great return in a year or two then my highly unprofessional opinion is "no way in Hades." The current scenario with Iran is unstable on multiple fronts and while I am a great supporter of the Iranian culture having faith in its secular and moderate society, it will take many years, perhaps decades even, for this group to move in a stable direction.
Regards,
Doug