5 Exeter Pounds

The Exeter Pound launched in 2015 as a community currency initiative aimed at keeping spending circulating within the local economy — one of a wave of similar schemes in the UK following the success of the Bristol Pound in 2012. Like its counterparts in Bristol, Brixton, and Totnes, it operates as a complementary currency rather than legal tender, accepted only by participating local businesses. Backing is one-for-one against sterling.

The inclusion of a hologram and foil security patch on a note of this type is worth noting — most local UK currencies of this generation relied on simpler deterrents, and the added cost reflects a deliberate choice to boost public confidence in the instrument.