Occitan is the name of a
community currency
A community is a social unit (a group of living things) with commonality such as place, norms, religion, values, customs, or identity. Communities may share a sense of place situated in a given geographical area (e.g. a country, village, tow ...
started in 2010
[''Hérault Tribune'' news (in French)]
/ref> in Pézenas
Pézenas (; Languedocien: ''Pesenàs'') is a commune in the Hérault department in the Occitanie region in southern France.
Name
The name "Pézenas" is derived from the older name ''Piscenae'', probably from the Latin word ''piscenis'', meanin ...
, Languedoc-Roussillon
Languedoc-Roussillon (; oc, Lengadòc-Rosselhon ; ca, Llenguadoc-Rosselló) is a former administrative region of France. On 1 January 2016, it joined with the region of Midi-Pyrénées to become Occitania. It comprised five departments, and b ...
, France. It is named after the Occitan Occitan may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Occitania territory in parts of France, Italy, Monaco and Spain.
* Something of, from, or related to the Occitania administrative region of France.
* Occitan language, spoken in parts o ...
language.
The Occitan program is intended to promote local commerce. The Occitan operates with a fixed exchange rate: =
There is a fixed commission of 4% for members (shops) and 6% for individuals.
Creation and objectives
An initiative of a local shopkeeper organization, ACA, the Occitan is intended to stimulate of local economy.
Currency issue, exchange and acceptance
They have a 1-year validity.
Bills of 1, 2, 5, and 10 Occitans are issued. They feature an Occitan cross and the portrait of Molière
Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (, ; 15 January 1622 (baptised) – 17 February 1673), known by his stage name Molière (, , ), was a French playwright, actor, and poet, widely regarded as one of the greatest writers in the French language and worl ...
who started his career in Pézenas.
To maintain an individual bill's validity, a "scrip
A scrip (or ''chit'' in India) is any substitute for legal tender. It is often a form of credit. Scrips have been created and used for a variety of reasons, including exploitive payment of employees under truck systems; or for use in local co ...
" corresponding to 2% of the banknote value must be paid every six months. (This system, called demurrage
The term "demurrage" from Old French ''demeurage'', from ''demeurer'' – to linger, tarry – originated in vessel chartering and referred to the period when the charterer remained in possession of the vessel after the period normally allowed ...
, is a form of currency circulation tax and was invented by Silvio Gesell.)
See also
* Abeille
* BerkShares
*Chiemgauer
Chiemgauer is a regional local currency started in 2003 in Prien am Chiemsee, Bavaria, Germany. Named after the Chiemgau, a region around the Chiemsee lake, it is intended to increase local employment, supporting local culture, and make the loca ...
References
External links
*{{official website, http://www.deviseoccitan.org/
Local currencies
Freiwirtschaft