Contribution from A2B3 Participant Dan Freidus

Here's some info on the "local exchange transaction system" that Chase told us about at lunch today (and some other variants):
http://www.smallisbeautiful.org/local_currencies.html
http://www.transaction.net/money/community/index.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Local_currency

Current systems:
Traverse City: http://www.baybucks.org/
Madison, WI: http://www.madisonhours.org/node/9
http://www.ratical.org/many_worlds/cc/NMfHC/chp10.html

Historical perspective:
http://www.andrewlowd.com/thesis/Chapter3.htm
http://userpage.fu-berlin.de/~roehrigw/fisher/
http://www.ratical.org/many_worlds/cc/NMfHC/chp8.html

As collectibles:
http://www.depressionscrip.com/

Ann Arbor was among the many communities that had scrip in the Depression:
http://www.depressionscrip.com/michigan/michigan.html#Ann
(though scroll down to see the gorgeous specimens from Mecosta County).

Most Depression era scrip is common enough that specimens are in the $5-20 range. I don't have maintain an inventory but could help you find some if you're interested (from a specific town, or one that's visually attractive or???).

Dan Freidus
freidus@umich.edu