Ever heard of BerkShares? A local currency.

[sdowney717]

A local paper money which is a valid legal tender in Massachusetts.
Faith in the US dollar dipping?
Will we see more local paper money printed up in other places?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BerkShares

In the future, Berkshares might be pegged to the value of maple syrup.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/a/a1/Berkshares.jpg/252px-Berkshares.jpg

[Ranko Kohime]

I've heard of them in passing, along with other similar fiat FRN replacements.

I prefer good old commodities myself. Something that's got some weight to it.

[undecim]

So it's like credits in a Trade Exchange (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barter#Trade_exchanges) that you can trade for real money and vice versa?

EDIT:



Faith in the US dollar dipping?

According to that wikipedia article, their value is tied to the US dollar.

[3rdalbum]

An interesting idea with some laudable goals.

However by encouraging local spending, it probably won't help the US economy as a whole. Might even make it just that little bit worse. I'm no economist though - it might be beneficial in ways I can't see.

A better first step would simply be, you know, to pay people more than their usual pittance?

[realzippy]

Something that's got some weight to it.

eg 19.30 g·cm−3 ?

[fatality_uk]

There's plenty of "local currencies" around the place:
e.g http://thelewespound.org/

Guide here to setting up your own!
http://www.thelewespound.org/assets/docs/Lewes_Pound_How_To_Guide.pdf

[Sef]

A local paper money which is a valid legal tender in Massachusetts.

It is not legal tender, but accepted as such. As long as the merchant accepts the money, no problems exists, but if you tried to give it to a merchant who did not accept it and refused to pay with a debit or credit card, or US cash, then you could be arrested.

[rrichardd0911]

I ran across this a year or two back. A way to keep the money in the local community. An exellent idea I think.

[earthpigg]

Being literally as "queer as a three dollar bill," we've got something somewhat similar (http://www.marinij.com/ci_15149185) going on here in the Bay Area.


West Marin's $3 tokens cost $1 to make - with profit going to charities

Many people say they want to create change, but Richard Kirschman actually mints it. The resident of tiny Dogtown in West Marin hopes the change he's created - shiny brass $3 coins showing up in change tills and tip jars throughout coastal West Marin - will help bring the region together while generating cash for local charities.

"The objective is to have these coins become common currency within our 10 villages," said Kirschman, who is retired - although he describes his occupation as "dealing with things as they come up."

A 35-year resident of his village, Kirschman created the coins - properly known as mercantile trade tokens - as a way to get the 2.5 million tourists who visit West Marin each year to contribute to the region's schools, food banks, artists' organizations and other community groups.

(Article continues at link)


The TLDR version is that as tourists leave and take these with them, the $2 difference between the cost to produce the coins and their local value goes to charity.

If you use and spend them in West Marin, nothing is gained and nothing is lost by anyone. But if you accept them as part of your change at dinner (you can refuse and demand $3 in one dollar bills - the social pressure not to do this isn't by accident) and then take it with you when you depart West Marin, you essentially just donated $2 to local charity and have a keepsake souvenir.

So long as the guestemate about how many are still in local circulation is somewhat accurate, it ought to continue to work out well.

[Lucradia]

According to my grandmother, Kohler also had its own "tender" / "currency" in Wisconsin at one point around the time of the strikes (or before them.)

[3rdalbum]

The TLDR version is that as tourists leave and take these with them, the $2 difference between the cost to produce the coins and their local value goes to charity.

If you use and spend them in West Marin, nothing is gained and nothing is lost by anyone. But if you accept them as part of your change at dinner (you can refuse and demand $3 in one dollar bills - the social pressure not to do this isn't by accident) and then take it with you when you depart West Marin, you essentially just donated $2 to local charity and have a keepsake souvenir.

That's another really cool idea.