Launched on 12 September 2009,[2][3] the scheme is an initiative of the local Transition Towns group. Unlike the Totnes pound and the Lewes pound, the scheme is based on the Chiemgauer, a community currency circulating in the Chiemgau region of Bavaria, Germany since 2003. As of April 2010, 30 businesses in Gloucestershire are enrolled in the programme.[4]
On the day of the launch, local currency with a face value of over 1,000 Stroud pounds was sold.[5]
However, in 2011 only £4,000 worth of Stroud pounds were issued. Some local businesses complained about the hassle and said customers still supported them but preferred to use sterling.[6]
In 2015 a discussion on a possible re-launch was held.[7]
One of the founders, Molly Scott Cato said in 2016 that the currency was "never viable".[8]
As of November 2019[update] the website had not been updated since 2012,[9] but Stroud Pound Co-op Ltd still exists.[10]
Stroud Pounds were available in four denominations: £1, £2, £5 and £10. All feature Philippa Threlfall's 1972 mural "Buildings of Stroud" and a Fuller's teasel (Dipsacus sativus) on the front, and various images of local significance (including local celebrities, landscapes, flora and fauna) on the back. The highest denomination features Laurie Lee.[11] Designs are printed in bright colours on watermarked security paper.
