> (Hard to see "nostalgia" in the scheme,
> since I can't recall any time when local currencies actually existed.)
Sure they have - a century ago, in nearly every city and innumerable small towns in the USA, UK and elsewhere:
( shorter link: http://makeashorterlink.com/?I2E221A56 )
Granted, the above isn't *quite* what the discussion is about...
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/ dave /