Secret Squirrel Re-Discovers The World Of Playing Card Currency

Yes,Secret Squirrel has rediscovered the world Of playing card
currency,as it was in the old days, and as it can be and in some
cases, still is, today, and on in to the future.Squirrel saw the headline.......

Urban explorers find $1MILLION-worth of collectible sports cards
inside an abandoned factory in Detroit

In the Daily Mail, at.....

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3198656/The-ultimate-swap-shop-Urban-explorers-1MILLION-worth-collectible-sports-cards-inside-abandoned-factory-Detroit.html

      So immediately Squirrel thought...Strike! No, not another tube
strike is called for. BUT, STRIKE! Whilst the iron is hot! Yes, it
suddenly occurred to Squirrel, CARD CURRENCY so as it was in the old days, so can it be in the new days, the days of now,of today, and of the days on in to the Future!Interesting the America of today, Her....err HIS Majesty,the French one, in the old days, used to pay soldiers,particularly in New France, or what they thought and called New France, the area of North America they regarded as belonging to them, they,the French. in short it WAS currency, in.........playing cards you know.

Card money was in use in New France in the seventeenth and
eighteenth centuries. So, Card money is a type of fiat money printed on plain cardboard or playing cards, which was used at times as currency in several colonies and countries (including Dutch Guiana, New France, and France) from the 17th century to the early 19th century. Where introduced, it was often followed by high rates of inflation, all issues of card money "could not be called unqualified success[es]", as they were capable of solving budget deficits but eventually were overproduced, leading to inflation. In order to prepare playing cards or plain cardboard for use as currency, the medium had to be given a denomination, a seal, a serial number, and appropriate signatures. In New France, this meant an embossed fleur-de-lis (it is noted that the french also used the fleur-de-lis as the symbol for The Whore, and branded some with it as,public, Whores) and the signatures of the intendant, governor, and treasurer. In Dutch Guiana, meanwhile, the form these validations took varied between issue.

Card money was generally issued, at least initially, in emergency
situations. It could be backed by other currencies, such as Bills of
Exchange, or be without guarantee. Initially, card money was issued in three different denominations, in the form of singular playing cards bearing the intendants arms and signature. It was backed by the private promise of redemption, and readily accepted. However, due to its widespread monetary use, a significant amount of card money failed to be submitted for reimbursement and remained circulating. This meant that the government was able to increase its expenses. As a result, card money was used as currency in Canada intermittently for the remainder of the French regime.

As a financial tool, card money played a significant role as a means of exchange. Despite the worries of French officials, colonial authorities were successful in arguing that card money served as a financial medium in Canada just as coinage did in France. An economic substitute to the dangerous transfer of specie across the Atlantic, card money allowed France to benefit, since the King did not have the obligation to send coinage to Canada, which would have risked loss either from the sea or from enemies.

In the fall of 1685, once the first issue of card money had been
redeemed, Jacques Demeulles wrote of his experiment in a report to the home government: No person has refused [the card money], and so good has been the effect that by this means the troops have lived as usual. Problems arose as cards began to be over-issued in order compensate for the failing economy in France,in short, the over printing of the currency,and any cards were not being returned for redemption each year,due to banking as it were.hoarding for a rainey day...saving as it were, nor were they always redeemable when they should have been....In the America of today, we see it STILL in effect, the Americans are absolutely fabulously crazy for it, different cards,(different denominations), having differing and massive values..

The new found trove of the American cards, are While only estimated to be individually worth between minimally 99 cents and $5.99, the collective haul of hundreds of cases would potentially fetch millions if ever put on the market,so hence minimally valued they're superior, and to some worth yet even greater sums. So you see, equal too and in greater value than, the existing U.S. dollar!!

Hmm......playing cards as currency.......playing cards ARE
currency..........AND they're worth far more than the US
dollar.....seems with respect to playing cards..the USA dollar, the
mighty dollar, has gone the way of the lira...........worth noting
in future trade deals/payments to Americans........payment in
playing cards will do, BUT watch just exactly how many playing
cards....no sense in over paying you know....meanwhile I'm off to
see the President, I just have to know how many playing cards it
will take to buy Manhattan Island off of'em.........

Secret Squirrel,
MRL,MP,Dunny On The Wold,
Minister For Re-Deranged Re-Engineering.