£5, £10, £20 and £50 notes are all in circulation,
but a £21 note? you have got to be kidding, but I kid you not, in the English town of Lewes, population just under 20,00,
they have their own currency as well as the familiar UK pound notes, it is quite a neat idea,
it is a powerful way to raise awareness about the way we spend
money and the fact that a pound spent locally keeps building wealth as it
circulates, instead of leaking out to the global economy, You can exchange sterling for Lewes Pounds – and vice-versa,
You can ask for Lewes Pounds in your change, and you can buy Lewes Pounds at the Lewes Pound Issuing Points,
the Lewis pound punches far above its weight since it continually circulates rather than
sitting in a bank. A single Lewes Pound passes through far more hands – in
exchange for goods and services – than a pound sterling, and remains in the
local economy,
according to the Bank of England the Lewes Pound is a
shopping voucher. As such it is not legal tender but based on trust, each Lewes Pound note is printed on high
security paper with watermarks, serial numbers and other hidden security
features,
to be clear, Lewes Pounds are a complementary currency, not an
alternative currency, the aim of it is to ensure that the availability and
quality of locally produced goods and locally owned businesses, as a way of
celebrating Lewes, in case you think this is a English thing in the US
county of Berkshare, for instance, which has a similar population size as
Lewes, over $1.5 Million have been issued and the WIR in Switzerland is used by
16% of Swiss businesses, but a £21 note really? for the full story of this idea have a look here, perhaps your local town could do the same, and keep the money in the family as it were?
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