Strange alternative forms of currency in use today

Parmigiano-Reggiano
The hard, granular cheese that takes two years to mature is accepted by Italian bank Banco Emiliano as collateral for loans so farmers can get their hands on the money they need until their wares are ready to go to market. Parmigiano-Reggiano is valued at $300 per wheel and has been used as form of currency since 1953. (Gocompare.com)

Rai stones
The large stone disks carved out of limestone have been used as a form of currency on the Micronesia island of Yap since 500 A.D. They remain in use today in transactions such as a marriage, inheritance and political agreements. The value of the stones is determined based on their history. Many are too large or fragile to be move moved, so transactions are based on oral agreements. (Gocompare.com)

Canadian Tire money
Check your wallet, because you may have some of this alternative currency hiding in there. Since its creation as a customer loyalty program in 1958, Canadian Tire Money has been used to help people save money on gas, hockey equipment, tools and other products. But it has also become so popular that other businesses have begun accepting it because they use it to shop at Canadian Tire. A few people have even been caught with counterfeit Canadian Tire cash. In the 1990s, a German man was found with $11,000,000 in phony Canadian Tire currency. An Armenian man was also caught with $45 million of counterfeit scrip. (Gocompare.com)

Shire Silver
The company says it combine the best of old-fashioned coins with the convenience of modern currencies. Shire Silver is a laminated card that contains a small amount of gold or silver. It comes in denominations of $1, $2, $3, $6, and $30. The value of each card is derived by the weight and type of the precious metal inside. The alternative currency originated in New Hampshire. (Gocompare.com)

Shell Money
The exchange of seashells or pieces of them was once commonly used around the world, and archaeologists say the practice dates as far back as 1,200 B.C.E. However, shells are still used as a form of currency by the people of Langa Langa Lagoon in the Solomon Islands, where one string is worth about $164. The shells are used to create jewelry, which are in turn used to purchase livestock, land and dowries. (Gocompare.com)

Notgeld
After the First World War, the value of the German mark rapidly deteriorated, resulting in a period of hyperinflation. As the German central bank struggled to provide the necessary supply of money, Notgeld – or emergency money – was issued. It was mainly issued in the form of paper bank notes, but it sometimes also took the form of coins, leather, silk, linen, postage stamps, aluminum foil, coal porcelain, reused paper and carton material, such as playing cards. (Gocompare.com)