Half a croissant, on a plate, with a sign in front of it saying '50c'
h a l f b a k e r y
Number one on the no-fly list

idea: add, search, annotate, link, view, overview, recent, by name, random

meta: news, help, about, links, report a problem

account: browse anonymously, or get an account and write.

user:
pass:
register,


                       

CommodiCoin

Metal token redeemable for a commodity
  (+2)
(+2)
  [vote for,
against]

Tuna Tokens, Soy Bean Cents, Corn Coins - why not?

Beef bullion, potato pence...

If you hold the round metal promise, no one can deny you cashing it in for the actual commodity.

Tuna Tokens - Bismuth? Or some other metal valued equally to market rate for both commodities.

Potato Pence - one spud per one ounce copper coin.

Welcome back to an honest economy!

Zimmy, Jul 23 2010

[link]






       my pound coin will buy me potatoes any day. huh?
po, Jul 23 2010
  

       [21], that's already well baked at airports.   

       I was expecting some toilet the size of a coin.
Cedar Park, Jul 23 2010
  

       Do yo all feel the same way now?   

       I do.
Zimmy, Jan 15 2012
  

       The same as what?
pocmloc, Jan 15 2012
  

       You could have one made of gold that could be redeemed for gold.   

       This is essentially how the commodities future market works, except without the physical coins.
marklar, Jan 15 2012
  

       What currency do I get paid in?
MaxwellBuchanan, Jan 15 2012
  

       That depends on what you are selling. If you are selling potatos, you'll get paid in potato tokens. If you're selling launches into orbit, you'll be paid in orbital launch tokens. If you're selling your own labour, you'll be paid in labour tokens.
pocmloc, Jan 15 2012
  

       //If you are selling potatos, you'll get paid in potato tokens.//   

       Hmmm. So, I give somebody 10lb of potatoes and they give me 10 potato tokens, which enable me to go out and buy...10lb...of...potatoes?
MaxwellBuchanan, Jan 15 2012
  

       //If you are selling potatos, you'll get paid in potato tokens.// Guaranteeing {edit: vide [MB] supra} that you'll only be able to buy things you don't need. Except for people who sell labor. This would be great if you wanted to enforce a labor theory of value.   

       Would there be a secondary market in which potato-farmers could exchange their tokens for, e.g. turnip tokens? Could gold-miners exchange their gold-tokens (redeemable for gold) for potato-tokens (redeemable for potatos)? (If the answer is "no," then what prevents the miners from starving?)   

       The question is, would potato-tokens remain in circulation, under such a system, or would it all revert to a fungible currency backed by gold, or maybe gold and silver? The historical record suggests the latter, but perhaps something could be done to prevent it, e.g. taxes payable *only* in kind.
mouseposture, Jan 15 2012
  

       Also, what about different grades within each commodity? I could grow really nasty, runtaceously tiny, watery, tasteless potatoes, and sell them, stale, for 1 potato token each. Then I would use the tokens to buy in fat, purple-skinned, bursting-with-flavour-and -nutrition heritage rare varieties of organically grown biodynamically harvested super-spuds. Potato arbitrage the new route to riches!   

       Also would a different type of similar product have to have a different token? What about pre-cut potato chips? Pre-cut chips made from moulded reconstituted potato? Bulk sacks of reconstituted potato? Bulk sacks of dried potato? Bulk sacks of dried potato starch? Pots of potato starch wallpaper paste? Chips made from leftover wallpaperpaste, deep fried in reject bio-diesel oil, kept in a hot display counter for a week and then sold with a can of Irn Bru and a deep fried “meat pie”? I can see the problems looming... in the sandwich bar:
“I'll have a bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich, please, organic rye bread, no butter, no mayo, a little olive oil on the lettuce, and toasted for 2 minutes each side please”.
“I'm so sorry sir, we have organic sourdough bread or non-organic rye bread, but no organic rye. Which would you prefer to substitute?”
“Oh, well cancel the order. My tokens here won't permit me to order anything other than a a bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich on organic rye bread, without butter or mayo, a little olive oil on the lettuce, and toasted for 2 minutes each side. Bollox!”
[sotto voce] “I can do you a black market deal sir, just don’t tell anyone. We wouldn’t want to get into trouble with the bank. Slip us a street cocaine token as well, and we’ll get your sandwich made up within the next 5 minutes.”
pocmloc, Jan 15 2012
  

       Okay, so I have a thousand potato tokens, and then there is a potato blight, and no potatoes produced that year. Where do my guaranteed potatoes come from? Gold or oil is one thing, since they don't tend to spoil, but produce tends to have a finite shelf life.
MechE, Jan 15 2012
  
      
[annotate]
  


 

back: main index

business  computer  culture  fashion  food  halfbakery  home  other  product  public  science  sport  vehicle