Value Beyond Money An Exploration of The Bristol Pound and The Building Blocks for An Alternative Economic System

Back in 2009, a group of people came together to try to create a currency that would change the economic system for the better. They called it the Bristol Pound. By 2015 it was one of the world’s most prominent local currencies, featured in the Financial Times and Time Magazine, and even covered by Chinese state television. However, the Bristol Pound stopped circulating in 2021, and in 2023 the organisation finally wound up. Drawing on the lessons learned as Bristol Pound’s managing director, the author examines the theory and practice behind many new economic ideas. What really is ‘money’? Can we imagine an economic system that prioritises non-financial value? Can we create a post-market economy? The author’s conclusions shape a new narrative and understanding that will forever change how you think of money and the economy.