BerkShares

BerkShares
Some BerkShares notes in various denominations.
Denominations
Banknotes	1, 5, 10, 20, 50 BerkShares
Demographics
User(s)	Berkshire County, Massachusetts, USA
Issuance
Central bank	BerkShares Inc.
Printer	Excelsior Printing

BerkShares is a local currency that circulates in The Berkshires region of Massachusetts. It was launched on September 29, 2006 by BerkShares Inc., with research and development assistance from the Schumacher Center for a New Economics. The BerkShares website lists around 400 businesses in Berkshire County that accept the currency. Since launch, over 7 million BerkShares have been issued from participating branch offices of local banks (as of Nov. 2015 eight branches of three different banks). The bills were designed by John Isaacs and were printed by Excelsior Printing on special paper with incorporated security features from Crane & Co.. BerkShares are pegged with an exchange rate to the US dollar, but Nick Kacher of the Schumacher Center has discussed the possibility of pegging its value to a basket of local goods in order to insulate the local economy against volatility in the US economy.

BerkShares are a local currency designed and issued for the Berkshire region of Massachusetts. According to the BerkShares website, residents purchase BerkShares at 95 cents (USD) per BerkShare from one of eight branches of three local participating banks. Businesses then accept BerkShares at full dollar value, differentiating the business as one supporting the BerkShares values of local economy, ecology, sustainability, and community, and creating a five percent discount incentive for those using the currency. BerkShares can then be used by accepting businesses to purchase goods and services from other participating businesses, make change, pay salaries, or support local non-profits, increasing the local economic multiplier effect and keeping value recirculating in the region. If businesses have an excess of BerkShares, they may also be returned to a participating bank at the equivalent rate of 95 cents per BerkShare (i.e., charging no exchange fee).

Over 70 area non-profits currently accept BerkShares for donations. Participating banks provide BerkShares with 8 brick-and-mortar offices where residents can exchange dollars for BerkShares and receive more information on the project.