NCD Credits

Overview
Shortly after the formation of the NCD, surviving economists in the outposts realized the importance of some kind of generally agreed-on currency. Director-3/5 heard these whispers and immediately instituted the NCD credit. The NCD credit is a hybrid fiat and representative currency. It is representative in the sense that it is partially supported by each outpost's armories. It is, however, for the most part, a fiat currency, supported by absolutely nothing.

Despite the NCD having a fiat currency, it is declared that a barter exchange, generally agreed upon by all participating parties, is also considered legal tender for the settlement of debts (even with the government itself). Generally, this creates a flexible post-apocalyptic economy.

System
The NCD credit is given power mostly because of the ease of which it is acquired (see "acquisition and earning credits") and the fact that all NCD agencies and organizations dispense and accept the currency. Also count the fact that it is required by NCD law for weapons vendors to accept and dispense NCD credits.

NCD credits are represented by the previous national currency, the Peso, due mostly in part because of the fact that the technology used to print it is now defunct. Add to that the fact that anti-counterfeiting measures have already been provided in the printed currency. However, it is noted that many survivors used to burn the said currency in campfires before its issuance, prompting a limited printing operation run by Director-4 himself.

Due to the unavailability of paper (which was being looted for like it was gold), Director-4, in cooperation with Director-2 and Director-6, devised a new medium of exchange. Director-6 had set up an ammunition reclamation project, an incentive for scavengers to make money by collecting spent bullet casings. After a while, some spent bullet casings, having been repacked with powder and projectile and used multiple times, were too warped and therefore deemed unsuitable for further use in ammunition. The bullet casings were shipped back to a facility in Outpost 4 to be flattened and stamped with the letters "NCD", followed by the value assigned to the new fiat credit. The value assigned depends on the calibre of the bullet casing (for reference, 5.56mm rifle rounds are considered rare, and therefore are valued at NCD 20, compared to 9mm pistol rounds, valued at a mere NCD 5).

To discourage counterfeiting, credits made in that way are valued lower than their actual market value (i.e. 5.56mm rifle rounds are valued at NCD 30 per bullet, so if someone decides to counterfeit it, the currency would be NCD 20, resulting in a loss of NCD 10), and couple to that the fact that ammunition prices are rising every month due to the simple fact that there is no such thing as unlimited ammo, with the rate of ammunition usage going up and the rate of ammunition being recovered is going down (the Civil Defense Department is actually getting petitions from hunters and engineers to start an ammo-making program).

Acquisition and earning credits


Random statistics
Currently, there are 30 million NCD credits in circulation, with an average of 5,000 credits being minted everyday, according to the Finance and Economics Monitoring Group (a recognized NCD auxiliary agency).