RoMa Local Currency Paper Tokens, used in Ballyhaunis, Ireland, 1999

[Elak]

Has anyone ever come across on of these RoMa Paper Tokens?

A friend of mine produced an example at a the Dublin Fair in 2007. I did a bit of research on them more recently - they are referred to as RoMa Local Currency Tokens. RoMa is derived from Roscommon Mayo, the two counties in the Northwest of Ireland where they circulated as a local currency for two months.

What I learned, I put on the web page.

I have not seen any examples since then.

[Figleaf]

Local currencies were in vogue one to four decades ago. A few were meant to promote local business, most were either advertising gimmicks or Yet Another Way to wring moNey (YAWN) out of collectors. They all failed after a very short while, most for lack of interest, some because when there is sufficient interest, fraudsters will come up with fakes as the notes are always wanting in the security department.

I like the RO•MA abbreviation, all the more because I once felt the need to explain that Lord Mayo (he who was killed on the Andaman Islands) did not invent mayonaise.

Peter

[brandm24]

I once felt the need to explain that Lord Mayo (he who was killed on the Andaman Islands) did not invent mayonaise.

Peter

Nor was it invented in County Mayo.

Bruce

[Figleaf]

How disappointing. All this while the sandwich is said to be an invention of Earl Sandwich.

Peter

[Offa]

There are some British examples around from Bristol and lewes it was an experiment to gauge the amount of trade local businesses did, as they could only be used in local shops and not the large chains.

[Elak]

The notion of security on these notes does interest me.

It appears to me that the serial numbers on the notes are constructed in such a was as to make forgeries easy to spot. Single letter prefix, plus 29 plus two digit number. Certain numbers combined with specific letters may have been tied to a specific business named on a note. I have not seen enough notes to work out any more.

Also, the short lifetime of the issue may well have been for security.

Even in 1999, digital printing technology was good enough to produce copies of something like this quite easily.