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In Far North Queensland, the Bullion Barter System enables people to trade goods and services using silver by weight. This isn’t a fringe movement—it’s a resilient, localised monetary network with traders, mechanics, farmers, and service providers all opting out of the dollar.
They operate with rounds, ingots, and sometimes pre-1966 Australian silver coinage (92.5% sterling). Prices are often quoted in grams of silver instead of fiat dollars. It’s a quiet but deliberate return to the pre-Bretton Woods standard.
Across parts of the Northern Rivers and inland Victoria, an informal economy is emerging within communities where local food, alternative medicine, and building supplies are being traded for silver, particularly junk silver, valued for its historical and monetary significance. One farm near Byron Bay has even begun accepting silver bullion as full payment for regenerative beef boxes.
Byron Bay Precious Metals, led by local David Warth, has brought together a community of like-minded individuals and businesses in Byron Bay committed to trading with tangible, asset-backed value. The initiative began with a shared decision to use 1oz silver rounds in place of $50 fiat currency for everyday transactions. The group adopted the Ainslie 1oz silver round and affectionately dubbed it the ‘Byron Bobb’. As the movement grew, there was a demand for smaller denominations to facilitate more practical day-to-day use. The community turned to Ainslie’s 1/2oz silver rounds—referred to as the ‘Half Bobb’—and the 1/10oz silver round, fondly called the ‘Bobbett’ by the group.
While still niche, there are private settlements, particularly in northern NSW and parts of Western Australia, where land deals and high-value private transactions have been made using gold bars and coins, prompted by banks refusing to process large cash transactions or when both parties understand that gold is outside the system.
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