Living away from the crazy commutes of normal city life, the
money system on this island is edible.
The people on this
island live far enough from a properly developed state to have the technology
to print or mint money. Therefore, money is measure in platanos,
or plantains.
It's a little
confusing to understand how the system began. Only the elders on the island
know the story of the how it originated. The beginning families used the
nature provided to them to start a new life and community. The life on
their own little world provides many different types of plants that surround
them: mangos, platanos, coconuts, and many others.
The platano stands out because of its unique changes in color
and taste. This plant undergoes a color change of green to yellow to black. The
taste also varies with the change of color from a starchy to sweet taste.
The people learn that the value of the platano is greatest at the yellow stage
of its life cycle. A time when it is in the middle of it’s starchy to sweet
taste journey. The reason is because the people prefer this taste or look above
the rest. The rarity comes from the limited time it stays yellow before it
starts to turn black. The green platano is second valued stage. This is a time
to when the plant may be cooked and offered more as a source of food as well as
currency. The black is the least wanted because it can be found all over when
the platanos fall from the trees and rot. Any one can pick these up from the
ground to buy basic needs such as bread and cheese.
The reason this system works is because the platano has these
stages in which people can use to measure a simple value. The barter system is
used heavily on this island. A single yellow platano may trade for nice cloth
for clothes or large amounts of food. Green platano may compare to average
dollars that many “middle-class” islanders may have to buy quick supplies when
the platano are fresh and cannot wait for yellow. The black is normally used by
the homeless or those that cannot grow a tree near their living environment.
People respect the island and each other. This island is their
home in which they have to depend on each other for supplies they need in the
market. The platano system is best because everyone has a chance to buy basic
needs whenever. No one can go hungry on this island and no one may ever become
too wealthy because no one can mark which trees are theirs unless the tree is
on their property. No one is greedy because if they truly needed something the island could not provide, they would just leave.
Welcome to the island of the platano currency.
