The E-Sylum:  Volume 10, Number 40, October 7, 2007, Article 22

TRAVELEX CREATES MONEY FOR USE IN SPACE: QUIDS

Dick Hansom forwarded this BBC article and press release
about a new form of money being promoted for use in space.

"It is called the Quasi Universal Intergalactic Denomination,
or Quid.

"It is designed to withstand the stresses of space travel
and has no sharp edges or chemicals that could hurt space
tourists.

"It was designed for the foreign exchange company Travelex
by scientists from the National Space Centre and the
University of Leicester.

"'None of the existing payment systems we use on earth -
like cash, credit or debit cards - could be used in space,'
said Professor George Fraser from the University of Leicester.

"'Anything with sharp edges, like coins, would be a risk
to astronauts while the chips and magnetic strips used in
our cards on Earth would be damaged beyond repair by cosmic
radiation,' he added.

"Different value 'coins' come in different sizes and
colours

"Using any sort of technology that involved sending
and receiving information from Earth would also be
impractical because of the distances involved.

"Quids are made of the polymer best-known for its use
in non-stick pans.

"The Quid 'coins' have moulded edges so that they will
not damage anything if they accidentally float free in
zero gravity.

"National Space Centre scientists predict that regular
trips into space will be commonplace in the next five
years and that tourist facilities on the Moon are a
distinct possibility by 2050."

To read the complete article, see: Full Story

To read the complete press release, see: Full Story

  Wayne Homren, Editor

	coinbooks.org Web

The Numismatic Bibliomania Society is a non-profit organization 
promoting numismatic literature. See our web site at coinbooks.org.

To submit items for publication in The E-Sylum, write to the Editor 
at this address: whomren@coinlibrary.com

To subscribe go to: https://my.binhost.com/lists/listinfo/esylum