Local currency in Germany - BBC article

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6333063.stm

In article . com writes:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6333063.stm

It looks quite similar to the Disney dollars.
--
dik t. winter, cwi, kruislaan 413, 1098 sj amsterdam, nederland, +31205924131
home: bovenover 215, 1025 jn amsterdam, nederland; http://www.cwi.nl/~dik/

Dik T. Winter wrote:

It looks quite similar to the Disney dollars.

Except it is not used that widely ... The Urstromtaler has been around
for almost three years, and is one of more than 20 "local money"
initatives in Germany. Our "Rheingold" here in Düsseldorf looks better
in my not-quite-so-humble opinion. ;-)

http://www.rheingoldregio.de/pic/sch...ein1-gross.jpg
Johanna Ey ("Mutter Ey")
http://www.rheingoldregio.de/pic/sch...ein5-gross.jpg
Otto Pankok
http://www.rheingoldregio.de/pic/sch...in10-gross.jpg
Gustaf Gründgens
http://www.rheingoldregio.de/pic/sch...in20-gross.jpg
Heinrich Heine
http://www.rheingoldregio.de/pic/sch...in50-gross.jpg
Clara Schumann

Christian (has never seen such a thing in the wild)

On Wed, 7 Feb 2007 11:51:16 +0100, lid (Christian
Feldhaus) wrote:

Dik T. Winter wrote:

It looks quite similar to the Disney dollars.

Except it is not used that widely ... The Urstromtaler has been around
for almost three years, and is one of more than 20 "local money"
initatives in Germany. Our "Rheingold" here in Düsseldorf looks better
in my not-quite-so-humble opinion. ;-)

They're lovely! But Germany does have a long history of local
currencies, doesn't it? I thought most or all the states of imperial
era Germany had their own pfennigs and thalers and groschen and marks.
Based on that, it doesn't surprise me that modern Germans would be
fond of regional minicurrenices.

I take it that these currencies are unit equivalents of the euro?

Padraic


http://www.rheingoldregio.de/pic/sch...ein1-gross.jpg
Johanna Ey ("Mutter Ey")
http://www.rheingoldregio.de/pic/sch...ein5-gross.jpg
Otto Pankok
http://www.rheingoldregio.de/pic/sch...in10-gross.jpg
Gustaf Gründgens
http://www.rheingoldregio.de/pic/sch...in20-gross.jpg
Heinrich Heine
http://www.rheingoldregio.de/pic/sch...in50-gross.jpg
Clara Schumann

Christian (has never seen such a thing in the wild)

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

Padraic Brown wrote:

I take it that these currencies are unit equivalents of the euro?

I guess so; otherwise it would be a little complicated to deal with a
"mix" of those currencies and actual cash. :-)

Christian

In article writes:
Dik T. Winter wrote:

It looks quite similar to the Disney dollars.

Except it is not used that widely ... The Urstromtaler has been around
for almost three years, and is one of more than 20 "local money"
initatives in Germany. Our "Rheingold" here in Düsseldorf looks better
in my not-quite-so-humble opinion. ;-)

Perhaps. How long are they valid? That is the difference with real
money. That kind of money loses a bit of value after 3 to 6 months.
Moreover, they lose *all* value after a few years. Not all sites state
such, they are silent on that. So if you have in your possession a
note that just did lose a bit of its value, you have to revalidate it
before you can spend it again. And if it loses all value, oh well,
you are unlucky.
--
dik t. winter, cwi, kruislaan 413, 1098 sj amsterdam, nederland, +31205924131
home: bovenover 215, 1025 jn amsterdam, nederland; http://www.cwi.nl/~dik/

Dik T. Winter wrote:

That kind of money loses a bit of value after 3 to 6 months.

Right, that is part of the concept, based on Silvio Gesell's idea that
money has to circulate. Guess that, if I want to support the local
economy, I am even willing to accept the annual 10 to 12 percent
inflation that is built into these local currency systems. As one of the
people quoted in that article expressed it, "at the end of the day, you
have a good feeling about life." :-)

Some of these complimentary currencies m are quite successful, such as
the "Chiemgauer" in SE Bavaria. Others like the "Justus" (in Gießen, HE)
died because of a lack of interest and support. We will see what happens
with the Magdeburg initiative ...

Christian

In article writes:
Dik T. Winter wrote:

That kind of money loses a bit of value after 3 to 6 months.

Right, that is part of the concept, based on Silvio Gesell's idea that
money has to circulate. Guess that, if I want to support the local
economy, I am even willing to accept the annual 10 to 12 percent
inflation that is built into these local currency systems. As one of the
people quoted in that article expressed it, "at the end of the day, you
have a good feeling about life." :-)

Yes, escept when you find that a lot of the money you have now in your
pocket will have no value anymore the following day. Or would you be
looking at every note you receive when it will expire?
--
dik t. winter, cwi, kruislaan 413, 1098 sj amsterdam, nederland, +31205924131
home: bovenover 215, 1025 jn amsterdam, nederland; http://www.cwi.nl/~dik/