24 Apr 2009

Local Communities Start Printing Own Currency

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A few people have mentioned this to me; here’s a USA Today article (so it must be true):

A small but growing number of cash-strapped communities are printing their own money.

Borrowing from a Depression-era idea, they are aiming to help consumers make ends meet and support struggling local businesses.

The systems generally work like this: Businesses and individuals form a network to print currency. Shoppers buy it at a discount — say, 95 cents for $1 value — and spend the full value at stores that accept the currency.

I’m not really sure how to process this. I think it is just an elaborate form of coupon clipping, but it surprises me that it has taken off.

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