Local currencies by design

One Brixton Pound. An online 'vote the note' poll was held so the public could choose who featured on the notes. Olive Morris, was a political activist and community organiser. She established the Brixton Black Women’s Group, and played a pivotal role in the squatters’ rights campaigns of the 1970s. Morris was born in Jamaica in 1952 and moved with her family to Britain aged 9. She was a Brixton resident from 1961-1975 when she died of cancer at the age of 27. Photograph: PR

James Lovelock, the independent scientist and environmentalist who, whilst working for NASA, developed the Gaia theory relating to global warming. Lovelock was a Brixton resident from 1925-1933. He features on the five Brixton pound note. Photograph: PR

CLR James, the Trinidadian journalist, historian, socialist thinker and anti-colonialist who chose to spend his final years on the ‘front line’ of Brixton features on the 10 Brixton pound note. Photograph: PR

Vincent Van Gogh lived in Brixton from 1873-74 and features on the 20 pound note. Photograph: PR

Totnes was the first British transition town to introduce a complementary currency in 2007.
Photograph: Totnes pound

One Totnes pound
Photograph: Totnes pound

The Lewes pound notes feature a quotation and an image of the pamphleteer and revolutionary Thomas Paine, who lived in Lewes between 1768-1774.
Photograph: Lewes Pound

Lewes introduced its currency in 2008
Photograph: Lewes Pound

A shopper spends the Lewes pound Photograph: ecomedia/Robert B Fishman/PR

The Stroud pound note features the teazle, a plant fundamental to Stroud's woollen industry. The notes were designed by Ronan Shoemaker who lived in Stroud at the time.
Photograph: Stroud pound co-op

Edwin Beard Budding, inventor of the lawnmower and local resident features on the Stroud two pound note.
Photograph: Stroud pound co-op

The five Stroud pound note features the the Adonis Blue butterfly which is found on Stroud's Commons.
Photograph: Stroud pound co-op

The Stroud 10 pound note features local author, Laurie Lee
Photograph: Stroud pound co-op