Post Carbon Fellow Rob Hopkins was quoted in this article on the end of the Totnes Pound.

From the article:

He [Rob Hopkins] said the decision to call it a day on the Totnes Pound was the result of fewer and few people dealing in cash – including the community currency.

“I guess it’s because people use cash less and less,” he said. “Now if you go into lots of shops in Totnes you never see any cash anymore. The circulation dropped below a point where the work and effort involved in maintaining it meant it was no longer worth it.”…

…John Elford explained: “Over time, the scheme was used less, partly because it coincided with the rise of the cashless economy, but also because locals who use the independent shops support them equally well if they use sterling.

“But if we measure its success in terms of the degree to which it put Totnes on the international map, the degree to which it provoked reflection on the importance of the local economy, and the impact on people of being able to live with, as an everyday experience, the opportunity to shop using their money, which told a story about their place, and the sense of possibility that inspired, then we have to say this has been a real success.”…

“Rather than this being a moment of sadness, the scheme’s impact and its legacy will be celebrated with a party in the ballroom of the Royal Seven Stars Hotel on Thursday, April 4, 7pm till late. Entry is free and the evening will feature a variety of entertainment including a talk by Rob Hopkins, a DJ and bar,’’ said Chantelle Norton, a Totnes Pound steering group member.