Signatures

[jorb]

Perishables do not make for good currencies, sadly.

[Peter]

Of course, I wouldn't expect a government or bank to keep a physical warehouse of food/water/fuel any more than I would expect them to keep one of gold. They would simply have to have the capability to buy back all the money they print- so they would have lines to provide these goods if needed; farms, pumps, crude oil reserves, in much the same way the gold reserves might be used.

[Teh_Az]

Why not Chantrelles or Cavebulbs as currency?

[Jackard]

why not stone of jordans

[jorb]

Of course, I wouldn't expect a government or bank to keep a physical warehouse of food/water/fuel any more than I would expect them to keep one of gold. They would simply have to have the capability to buy back all the money they print- so they would have lines to provide these goods if needed; farms, pumps, crude oil reserves, in much the same way the gold reserves might be used.

In that case they have to keep their value reserves in some other medium, and that medium would then, transitively, be the real standard of the currency.

[sabinati]

Aged cheeses include the ones grated over pasta like parmesan (parmigiano reggiano) and romano (pecorino romano). Parmigiano Reggiano can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It was valued so highly that it was used as currency. These hard cheeses are made in gigantic wheels. Cutting (technically fracturing) them when they’re done takes years of experience, and a stethoscope-like instrument is used to make sure the cheese wheels are ready. While parmesan is made from cow’s milk, pecorino romano is made from the milk of sheep (pecora means sheep in Italian).

The cheese is so esteemed and valuable that it is also used as collateral in Italy. The bank Credito Emiliana holds more than 300,000 wheels of Parmigiano Reggiano in its vaults as collateral on loans and also as a security against the European cheese market.

[jorb]

Perishables are of course not *impossible* to use. Cigarettes are a classic example of a commodity that can be monetarized. I do, however, think that precious metals have certain advantages from a purely practical POV.

Cool cheeses, though. We should have them in Haven.

[Potjeh]

Ah, but precious metals don't have much practical utility. They're only valuable because they're valuable. Kinda like how real diamonds are worth more than synthetic ones, even though synthetic ones are better for every practical use.

[sabinati]

but they're shiny!

[bgfan]

Alright... since we are talking about perishables (and cigarrettes apparently) we already have Boar Tusk Snuff, when do we get other drugs? I wanna smoke a peace pipe, and then spend the next half an hour trying to figure out where the hell I am.