Category:Community currencies

A community currency is a means of exchange that has a localized value. This value is limited to a specific community, usually restricted within a geographical region. This structure keeps the wealth created by the exchange of goods and services within the local community -- it cannot be extracted or exported, or even really, benefited from by those whose primary allegiances lie outside of the community.

Most of us already use alternative currencies in many aspects of our life. Bus passes, movie tickets, gift certificates -- even tokens and tickets within video arcades -- are all used as a means of exchange for acquiring services or goods (although very restricted in where they have value). Coupons are used similarly, with value in potentially broader circles.

Scrip is an alternative currency much like our community currency. Unlike coupons, which only give you a discount on purchases made with US currency, scrip has an inherent value and can be used on it’s own. During the Great Depression of the 1930s thousands of kinds of scrip were issued by merchants, municipalities, and even chambers of commerce. Scrip today is typically issued by a company as a tool for fundraisers: a non-profit or a school will purchase the scrip at less than face value, and then sell it to their supporters at face value, thereby making a small profit while encouraging their supporters to purchase from the company.

Community currencies similar to our Humboldt project can be found all over the US and the world. From Ithaca, NY to Tucson, AZ, and from Germany to Argentina, communities have benefited from a structure for exchange that prioritizes local sustainability.