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GOING CASHLESS WITHOUT FIRST GOING BROKEIn response to last week's pieces about electronic money, Stephen Pradier writes: "I am a firm believer in going cashless and coinless. Back in 1987 debit cards were in wide use on the West Coast years before they made it over to the East Coast. I thought it amazing to be able to make a purchase from your personal bank account with plastic as opposed to using a credit card. In Arizona, the debit cards were different colors (from the same bank), allowing merchants to have some idea of the customers standing at the bank. Arizona is fairly transient with tourists and retirees (snowbirds) so a debit card was more widely accepted than a paper check. Ever since debit cards were made available on the East Coast, around 1996/1997, I have never had a red cent or a greenback on my person. Now I only collect coins and paper and never spend them. Plastic money is accepted everywhere -- Colonel Sanders, the grocery, pizza orders, taxi cabs, the US Post Office (they even give you cash back if you want it) and most of all the Internet merchants. Individuals can also accept plastic or electronic money via Bill Payment services like PayPal, C2IT, Billpoint, etc. You name it they take it. Plastic money comes in all kinds of colors and motifs. Cards produced with your favorite pastime, like Beer Drinkers, Shooters, NFL, Golf, Birds, Cats, Trees, and Spider Man to name a few. What's more, you are no longer limited to a plastic card. They come as Wands, Key Chains, and New Wave shapes. I have yet to see a card that had the appearance of money. It may yet take awhile for the U.S. to go cashless, much like trying to go paperless. Some people just love the look, feel and smell of real money." In the opposite court is David Davis, who writes: "I find the discussions about the demise of coins and currency interesting to read or listen to but can't get very excited. The past prognostications haven't been very reliable and, while it may be shortsighted, who cares? The coins and currency I collect was all made over 70 years ago. I am more concerned with the fact that more firms in many different fields are either going to or using CDs to replace catalogs. I like the printed forms and find it inconvenient to have to go to the computer to look something up. Is this just another go around on the elimination of paper? In business computers only added to the paperwork logjam."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 To subscribe go to: https://my.binhost.com/lists/listinfo/esylum All Rights Reserved. NBS Home Page Contact the NBS webmaster 
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