CLASSIC: The Rise and Fall of Local Scrip: Alternative Currencies of the Great Depression

CLASSIC: The Rise and Fall of Local Scrip: Alternative Currencies of the Great Depression

July 11, 2026 · 39 min

About this episode

This episode explores the creation and circulation of local currencies during the Great Depression as a survival strategy for communities.

Have you ever been so broke that you ended up creating your own currency? It may sound like a crazy idea today, but during the Great Depression multiple communities actually created and circulated their own forms of local currency. And this wasn't a lark -- it was a matter of survival. Listen in to learn more about some of the precedents for the (world-famous) BenBucks. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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