In what has become a rush in the Western United States, Arizona is the next state in line to pass a bill making gold and silver legal tender. Unlike some other laws on the books in other states, the Arizona law would only make gold and silver legal tender for private transactions, but not for paying taxes and fees inside the state.

What does this have to do with barter?

There seems to be a popular movement towards more privately controlled money units, outside the control of a central banking authority. Barter is one of those money units, and though it is not directly backed by a commodity like gold and silver, it is backed (when managed well), by the available goods and services in the exchange. A well run exchange can function as well as a commodity currency.

barter, Gold, legal tender, silver