Full Faith and Credit

Two nights ago, my roommate and I went to dinner. I paid with a credit card, and after emptying his wallet of dollars, he still owed me $9. All he had left in his wallet was a £5 note. It took us both a moment of soul-searching before realizing that if he handed me the bill... our debt would be clear. I mean, it's in pounds, how am I going to use it in the US?

It's scary to think how fragile our monetary system is. It's all just based on faith. The worst kind of faith: faith in the common man. Sure, Mr. Goodenberger and I know the exchange rates for common currencies. But what if I need to buy gas? Of course I'm out of luck if I'm trying to invoke Her Majesty's Royal Currenfy[sic] of Pounds Sterling and Incestuous Families. But how about the 2 dollar bill? See this description of someone not taking a 2 dollar bill. So does that mean that when you factor in the difficulty of using it, it's really a $1.78 bill?

Leave a comment if you'd accept a debt of $9 in Poundian format.