D'Oh! Didn't read the thread first to see you answered it. Good idea. What I do like about it particularly is you can travel and see the country in the process and write off expenses if you do this kind of thing as a business. Of course, your sales would have to exceed your expenses and probably would have to include overwhelmingly more traditional numismatic items until the rest of us get hip to your gig.
You were by far the closest, having guessed Liberty Dollars. It's a similar concept, except it is national, not local. Also, the local currencies are most generally backed by an "hour" of labor, as opposed to bullion.
<< <i>This has gotten off to a slow start. I posted this thread in April, but I don't have a single piece yet. >>
What are the primary reasons for the difficulty? If these are backed by hours of labor, I can see how the communities would be reluctant to have them collected or stockpiled by outsiders. If this is the issue, perhaps having an expiration date like the Maui Trade Dollars would make them more willing to let outsiders collect them.
A lot of things that are really hard to get. Even things that are quite common locally can be tough when collected from other areas or if desired in uncirculated condition. This is why there will be so many scarcities from the latter half of the 20th century right up to the present day. There are numerous world coins, tokens, and medals that just get all used up and destroyed.
This isn't unique to this era since there are probably far more 19th century good for tokens which aren't survived by a single example than there are known issues, but it is probably unique to coins. Never before are so many coin issues so poorly survived or all survivors are circulated.
I'm kind of surprised since these currencies all seem to have their own websites now. The Burlington Bread website even gives their address and phone number for you to come in and exchange US dollars for Burlington Bread currency. However, the Ithaca Hours website says (emphasis mine):
<< <i>thaca HOURS is our local currency. It keeps money local, building our local economy. It builds community pride and connections. >>
These all seem very local community oriented. Wikipedia has a List of Community Currencies including some that seem defunct. The ones I've checked out so far (Burlington Bread, Green Mountain Hours and Ithaca Hours) all seem to be paper currency, though with interesting designs.
If the local people don't want their local currency leaving, it may be easier to set up a national network of people who are willing to physically go to these communities, buy up currency and then trade them. You can also arrange to go to these communities for your vacations. People have been known to choose vacation destinations for similar reasons.
Yep. I contacted the Burlington Bread folks, with no response. They even advertise unc notes, old and new designs, for collectors. Their office is about 20 minutes from my parents' place, so one of these days I'll at least get that one. I tried to track down an old Buffalo Mountain Hour (Hardwick, VT) but whover has them is keeping them.
If the local people don't want their local currency leaving, it may be easier to set up a national network of people who are willing to physically go to these communities, buy up currency and then trade them. You can also arrange to go to these communities for your vacations. People have been known to choose vacation destinations for similar reasons. >>
This is essentially the only way to get some of these things. There have been a few such networks but I think they are all defunct.
Edited to add that many of the active organizations do have a new issues department that obtains cur- rent items for distribution to members.
I just found this Forbes.com article which is interesting. The article says all the local currencies are paper because they would be illegal as coinage. But since the US government allows the 15 year old Maui Trade Dollar program to run so they could go that way if they wanted to. Does this also mean the Liberty Dollar paper money is legal? The article also mentions that the Green Mountain Hours currency couldn't sign up enough merchants and that other efforts in California, Florida and Kansas have closed shop.
What sort of security devices do they use? Are the mid-eastern currency mills making them yet? Do bored 14-yr-olds print them up and sell them on eBay yet?
<< <i>What sort of security devices do they use? Are the mid-eastern currency mills making them yet? Do bored 14-yr-olds print them up and sell them on eBay yet? >>
Do a google search. Some of the articles talk about techniques some of them use. The added feature is since they can only be used in the local economy there generally isn't much incentive to counterfeit and if people do, the locals can track them down easily. Of course, it's a different issue if you intend to collect them, instead of spend them.
Well, I finally got my first piece. It is a $20 "Kingdom Cash" note, issued for local trade in and around St. Johnsbury, Vermont. It is numbered 1059. Let me just say, it took one hell of a hunt to find the goddam thing, and it is **intensely** boring to look at now that I have it. I hope the rest of this endeavor goes better.
Congratulations, Mirabela, on acquiring your first item in your new collection. It took 9 months. At that rate, after 30 years, you'll have 40 items in your collection. That shows how difficult it might be!
An authorized PCGS dealer, and a contributor to the Red Book.
I have a small collection of these in different denomenations. They are from my hometown. Are they close enough to the local currencies that are the topic of this thread?
Yeah, basically. It looks like that wooden nickel certificate might have been for use at booths at a particular event (not sure about this) whereas the things I'm looking for are meant for general circulation in place of US-issued legal tender for all purposes. Same basic idea, though, certainly.
Yeah, they were issued for a special event, not sure how long they could be used as "money" from the local merchants after the event ended. Lots of towns used to have these. Here is a link that shows a bunch of different ones Wooden Nickel Flats
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ANA - Pay As I Go Member
<< <i>So technically I was right!!! >>
You were by far the closest, having guessed Liberty Dollars. It's a similar concept, except it is national, not local. Also, the local currencies are most generally backed by an "hour" of labor, as opposed to bullion.
My icon IS my coin. It is a gem 1949 FBL Franklin.
<< <i>This has gotten off to a slow start. I posted this thread in April, but I don't have a single piece yet. >>
What are the primary reasons for the difficulty? If these are backed by hours of labor, I can see how the communities would be reluctant to have them collected or stockpiled by outsiders. If this is the issue, perhaps having an expiration date like the Maui Trade Dollars would make them more willing to let outsiders collect them.
be tough when collected from other areas or if desired in uncirculated condition. This is
why there will be so many scarcities from the latter half of the 20th century right up to the
present day. There are numerous world coins, tokens, and medals that just get all used
up and destroyed.
This isn't unique to this era since there are probably far more 19th century good for tokens
which aren't survived by a single example than there are known issues, but it is probably
unique to coins. Never before are so many coin issues so poorly survived or all survivors
are circulated.
<< <i>thaca HOURS is our local currency. It keeps money local, building our local economy. It builds community pride and connections. >>
These all seem very local community oriented. Wikipedia has a List of Community Currencies including some that seem defunct. The ones I've checked out so far (Burlington Bread, Green Mountain Hours and Ithaca Hours) all seem to be paper currency, though with interesting designs.
If the local people don't want their local currency leaving, it may be easier to set up a national network of people who are willing to physically go to these communities, buy up currency and then trade them. You can also arrange to go to these communities for your vacations. People have been known to choose vacation destinations for similar reasons.
<< <i>
If the local people don't want their local currency leaving, it may be easier to set up a national network of people who are willing to physically go to these communities, buy up currency and then trade them. You can also arrange to go to these communities for your vacations. People have been known to choose vacation destinations for similar reasons. >>
This is essentially the only way to get some of these things. There have been a few such networks but
I think they are all defunct.
Edited to add that many of the active organizations do have a new issues department that obtains cur-
rent items for distribution to members.
<< <i>What sort of security devices do they use? Are the mid-eastern currency mills making them yet? Do bored 14-yr-olds print them up and sell them on eBay yet? >>
Do a google search. Some of the articles talk about techniques some of them use. The added feature is since they can only be used in the local economy there generally isn't much incentive to counterfeit and if people do, the locals can track them down easily. Of course, it's a different issue if you intend to collect them, instead of spend them.
An authorized PCGS dealer, and a contributor to the Red Book.
Leo
The more qualities observed in a coin, the more desirable that coin becomes!
My Jefferson Nickel Collection