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 Some BerkShares notes in various denominations. | |
| Denominations | |
|---|---|
| Banknotes | 1, 5, 10, 20, 50 BerkShares |
| Demographics | |
| User(s) | Berkshire County, Massachusetts, USA |
| Issuance | |
| Central bank | BerkShares Inc. |
| Printer | Excelsior Printing |
BerkShares is a local currency that circulates in The Berkshires region of Massachusetts. It was launched on September 29, 2006[1] by BerkShares Inc., with research and development assistance from the Schumacher Center for a New Economics. The BerkShares website lists around 400 businesses in Berkshire County that accept the currency.[2][3] Since launch, over 10 million BerkShares have been issued from participating branch offices of local banks (as of February 2020, nine branches of three different banks).[4] The bills were designed by John Isaacs[5] and were printed by Excelsior Printing on special paper with incorporated security features from Crane & Co. BerkShares are pegged with an exchange rate to the US dollar, but the Schumacher Center has discussed the possibility of pegging its value to a basket of local goods in order to insulate the local economy against volatility in the US economy.[6]
- ^ "Local Currency for the Berkshire Region". BerkShares. 2006-09-07. Archived from the original on 2012-04-18. Retrieved 2013-09-06.
- ^ "Local Currency for the Berkshire Region". BerkShares Inc. Retrieved 2013-09-06.
- ^ "How it works". BerkShares Inc. Retrieved 2016-07-31.
- ^ "Local Currency for the Berkshire Region". BerkShares. Archived from the original on 2013-08-07. Retrieved 2013-09-06.
- ^ "John Isaacs, Designer | BerkShares Inc".
- ^ O'Brien, Jane (September 7, 2011). "BerkShares boost the Berkshires in Massachusetts". BBC News. Retrieved September 6, 2013.