Actually, it is. During the Alaska Gold Rush there was not many United States dollars in circulation so workers were paid in script, paper coupons that were good in any store in town. But the coupons were worthless outside of that city. Script was common throughout the United States until 1933 when the Federal Government established the FDIC. Until then, you spent coupons like money but only in the city where you lived. So, next time you are watching a movie of the Wild West and see cowboys spending like there was no tomorrow, keep in mind they were paid in script. The ‘money’ they got in Kansas City was only good in Kansas City. So they could not save a dime. So they spent every dime they had because the moment they left Kansas City, any script they had left was worthless.
THE HUMAN FACE OF THE ALASKA GOLD RUSH