COMMUNITY CURRENCY: LAKE DISTRICT POUND

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V21 2018 INDEX E-SYLUM ARCHIVE

The E-Sylum: Volume 21, Number 17, April 29, 2018, Article 39

COMMUNITY CURRENCY: LAKE DISTRICT POUND

The Lake District in North West England is rolling out a local currency. -Editor

The Lake District Pound (LD£) is our region’s new local currency – designed to celebrate everything you love about this place, and help keep our region special.

From 1st May 2018, you’ll be able to spend LD£ in local businesses in and around the Lake District, where you see the LD£ sign.

Spending LD£ is a great way to explore our local culture and show your support for the local businesses that make it so special. Only local businesses can accept the LD£, so you know you’re supporting our communities. Every LD£ makes a difference.

The Lake District Pound is an annual currency – with exciting new designs launching each year. You can buy LD£ online, or at LD£ Exchange Points throughout the Lake District. There are no charges or exchange rates to pay, and you can always swap back any currency you’re not able to spend during its period of validity.

If you pick up a LD£ Passport, you can collect stamps when you visit local businesses on the LD£ Passport Trail. There are loads of fun icons to collect, and every stamp is unique.

Every LD£ you collect as a memento (instead of spending it) goes straight towards projects that look after the Lake District’s landscapes and communities. All proceeds are shared between Cumbria Community Foundation and the Lake District Foundation.

That last point is one of the biggest reasons for creating local currencies, although many promoters gloss over it as an afterthought. Every note bought with the prevailing "real" currency and not spent constitutes a large donation to the issuing group. No wonder local currencies are popular among tourist communities. But the notes make for fine souvenirs and collectibles, so there's nothing wrong with that. Just don't come back and try to spend them on next year's vacation - they'll no longer be valid. -Editor

For more information on the Lake District Pound, see:
https://www.lakedistrictpound.com/

Wayne Homren, Editor

The Numismatic Bibliomania Society is a non-profit organization promoting numismatic literature. See our web site at coinbooks.org.

To submit items for publication in The E-Sylum, write to the Editor at this address: whomren@gmail.com

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