[mysterio]

From 2006 :

"'Liberty Dollars' Can Buy Users A Prison Term, U.S. Mint Warns

By Elizabeth Williamson Washington Post Staff Writer Tuesday, October 10, 2006; Page A19

Once upon a time, a "monetary architect" named Bernard von NotHaus decided to make his own money.

He put a beautiful Lady Liberty and a majestic flaming torch on the silver and gold coins, and he named them "Liberty Dollars." On his Web site, http://www.libertydollar.org , he said: "It is fun to use REAL money. Liberty Dollars are a proven and profitable currency that protects and grows the purchasing power of your money!"

True story, phony money. So says the U.S. Mint, which would like to remind Liberty Dollar users that since the United States already has its own currency, the only thing Liberty Dollars buy in these parts is a jail term.

Liberty Dollars were coined by von NotHaus and an Evansville, Ind.-based group called Norfed, which stands for (sort of) the National Organization for the Repeal of the Federal Reserve Act and the Internal Revenue Code. In the late 1990s, the group began hawking its money as a hedge against inflation, and as a way to compete with the Fed. Von NotHaus makes the pitch online, using a raft of statistics and graphs that he says show the greenback is well nigh worthless."

[untenured]

So says the U.S. Mint, which would like to remind Liberty Dollar users that since the United States already has its own currency, the only thing Liberty Dollars buy in these parts is a jail term.

If this is true (a huge if, at this point), I don't understand why. People in a lot of towns (Ithaca NY, for one) commonly introduce paper notes that can to be used as money within the town, to encourage people to shop locally. Is that illegal too?

[Centurion2000]

True story, phony money. So says the U.S. Mint, which would like to remind Liberty Dollar users that since the United States already has its own currency, the only thing Liberty Dollars buy in these parts is a jail term.

Then I guess the US Mint better go after every single freaking MC/VISA gift card ever made. Those are effectively private currencies as well.