LOCAL MONEY IN THE UNITED STATES DURING THE GREAT DEPRESSION

The Great Depression in the United States produced a great outpouring of local currencies as responses to various aspects of the economic crisis. This article describes the basic types of scrip in use, assesses their legality and theoretical justification, and ventures some generalizations as to w...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Loren Gatch
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Economic & Business History Society 2008-06-01
Series:Essays in Economic and Business History
Online Access:http://ebhsoc.org/journal/index.php/ebhs/article/view/191
Description
Summary:The Great Depression in the United States produced a great outpouring of local currencies as responses to various aspects of the economic crisis. This article describes the basic types of scrip in use, assesses their legality and theoretical justification, and ventures some generalizations as to what sorts of scrip worked best. It argues that the widespread use of local scrip was not motivated by any systematic analysis of the shortcomings of the national economy, or of its monetary system. Rather, the scrip movement represented eclectic responses to specific economic problems created by the Depression.
ISSN:0896-226X