Ålesundskroner were issued by the local business association as a town currency — a promotional scrip scheme intended to keep spending within the town center. These instruments circulated as gift vouchers redeemable at participating retailers, not as legal tender, and were denominated to shadow the Norwegian krone one-to-one. The 500-unit face value places this at the high end of the series, likely intended for corporate gifting rather than ordinary retail use.
Dozens of similar local scrip schemes ran across Scandinavian towns during the late 1980s and early 1990s before fading out as gift card technology made them redundant.
Ålesundskroner were issued by the local business association as a town currency — a promotional scrip scheme intended to keep spending within the town center. These instruments circulated as gift vouchers redeemable at participating retailers, not as legal tender, and were denominated to shadow the Norwegian krone one-to-one. The 500-unit face value places this at the high end of the series, likely intended for corporate gifting rather than ordinary retail use.
Dozens of similar local scrip schemes ran across Scandinavian towns during the late 1980s and early 1990s before fading out as gift card technology made them redundant.