Bottle caps replacing money in Central Africa

ApTyp · Post by **ApTyp** » Fri Aug 19, 2005 1:28 am

[ Community -> Article ]

This is not a joke. Beer bottle caps are <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4156200.stm">being used as currency</a> in some parts of Cameroon.
Apparently every bottle cap is also a potential instant prize ticket. Prizes include cellphones, luxury cars, and more beer. Taxi drivers are often being paid in bottle caps, and some drivers use bottle caps to pay off traffic cops.
<blockquote>
Cameroon traditionally has one of the highest
levels of alcohol consumption in Africa and authorities have not
expressed concern about the current trend.



"Nobody seems to be worried about the health
implications," (local journalist) says. "The government is saying nothing about it. But
people are certainly drinking more than before."
</blockquote>
What I find most awesome is that a taxi ride across town is only $1.
But seriously, the most interesting thing is that the idea behind
Fallout's bottle cap currency has some very strong theory and
real-world analogy now.
Much thanks to RGE from the forums for finding this, and to RadioactiveMonkey from #fallout for the heads up.

Spotted @ <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk">BBC</a>

Smiley · Post by **Smiley** » Fri Aug 19, 2005 10:04 am

Wicked.

What kind of beers though?
Special beers?

Or could I just haul a big bag of Tuborg/Carlsberg bottlecaps down there and act the richman?

A_M · Post by **A_M** » Fri Aug 19, 2005 10:31 am

Smiley wrote: [...]

Or could I just haul a big bag of Tuborg/Carlsberg bottlecaps down there and act the richman?

Nope, it only count's for the beer produced since the start of the year in Cameroon. Unlycky, eh?

Smiley · Post by **Smiley** » Fri Aug 19, 2005 11:58 am

Damn. Would've been nice though...
I could easily gather hundreds of them.

ApTyp · Post by **ApTyp** » Fri Aug 19, 2005 12:03 pm

The $1 caps are the ones that have another beer as the prize. Get it? That's the ones they use as currency.

POOPERSCOOPER · Post by **POOPERSCOOPER** » Fri Aug 19, 2005 6:23 pm

So its basically making them all alcoholics.

ApTyp · Post by **ApTyp** » Fri Aug 19, 2005 6:44 pm

PsychoSniper · Post by **PsychoSniper** » Fri Aug 19, 2005 8:24 pm

]

Mmmmmm beer, sweet nectar of teh gods.

This is seriously cool from a FO prespective, it shows that in a post nuculear devastated area (or a fucked up place like Afrika) that common items can suddenly become valuble.

It also means that the Vault dweller I guide next shall massacre EVERYONE DAMMNIT!

TEHY DIDNT LET ME KNOW THOSE CAPS WERE WORTH 1 BEER EACH!

DIE BIATCHES DIE!

vx trauma · Post by **vx trauma** » Sat Aug 20, 2005 11:03 am

Wonder how many bottlecaps you need to buy yourself a copy of the fallout box in cameroon? Exchange rates anyone?

ApTyp · Post by **ApTyp** » Sat Aug 20, 2005 2:16 pm

Since it's probably pirated, no more than 5.

A_M · Post by **A_M** » Sat Aug 20, 2005 2:26 pm

ApTyp wrote:Since it's probably pirated, no more than 5.

It's good to know they at least know what is piracy...

Wolfman Walt · Post by **Wolfman Walt** » Sat Aug 20, 2005 2:45 pm

I wonder how many beer caps it would take to buy up a good portion of Cameroon.

ApTyp · Post by **ApTyp** » Sat Aug 20, 2005 3:31 pm

A truck-ful

vendetta · Post by **vendetta** » Sat Aug 20, 2005 6:04 pm

We should import this currency exchange to the western world. Wouldn't it be a great idea, eh? WE are drunkards too.

RGE · Post by **RGE** » Sat Aug 20, 2005 6:48 pm

PsychoSniper wrote:This is seriously cool from a FO prespective, it shows that in a post nuculear devastated area (or a fucked up place like Afrika) that common items can suddenly become valuble.

Well, at least if the value of that common item is supported by a company. Unless a currency has a lot of intrinsic value, it needs to be backed up by people who can always afford to trade useful stuff for that useless currency. As soon as food and supplies become too important to sell, any currency becomes almost worthless. So the more fucked up the place is, the more likely it would be that currencies wouldn't survive the inflation.

Nice to see that this was newsworthy though. I suppose that I was a smidge too unassuming when I decided where to post.

VasikkA · Post by **VasikkA** » Sat Aug 20, 2005 7:16 pm

Well, in Russia, the contents of a bottle can be used as currency. It's almost the same thing.

PsychoSniper · Post by **PsychoSniper** » Sun Aug 21, 2005 3:39 pm

RGE wrote:lots of boring stuff

Im still wiping the wasteland clear of life in my next FO runthru for their not telling me that teh beer was worth caps.

Or teh caps were worth caps..... or whatever. Im killing EVERYONE. Execpt for Tandi. I plan to toy with her.......

gundam2000 · Post by **gundam2000** » Mon Aug 22, 2005 3:23 pm

haha thats pretty crazy guys. concidering how much beer i drink i should probably be a millionare or something over there.

Franz Schubert · Post by **Franz Schubert** » Wed Aug 24, 2005 9:45 am

So basically the folks in Cameroon are gonna suddenly find themselves rich once the bombs start falling.

vx trauma · Post by **vx trauma** » Wed Aug 24, 2005 10:10 am

Hey, maybe Cameroon would be an awesome place for Fallout3? Dr livingstone leading a raider gang with drugs and guns and leopardskin armor. Mutated lions too.