Viewpoint: No interest in cashless society

By Bruce R. Frohman

The letter to the editor in the Oct. 20 edition of Numismatic News predicting the inevitability of a cashless society was very disheartening. His society is not one that I want to be part of.

Who wants to live in a society where a bank gets a cut out of every purchase? Who wants all of his purchases on an electronic record for anyone to see? Who wants to be an easy target for advertisers? Who wants 100 percent of his cash assets electronically subject to theft?

Who wants to be constantly vulnerable to computer hackers and data thieves? Who enjoys living under threat of identity theft? Who wants to rely on sloppy merchants who have poor security practices?

Who wants to wait for a slow computer to make a purchase? If computers are knocked out by storm, are we to starve because we can’t pay for food electronically?

Who wants to use a card to pay for a small purchase like an ice cream bar from a street vendor?

Why would I want to live in a society where a bank or government can completely freeze my ability to transact business willfully or accidentally? In a cashless society, every citizen is at the mercy of a computer and those that control it.

I have already received several different notifications that I have had data stolen from financial institutions and that I need to worry about the theft. Why do I want to live in a society where I have to constantly monitor my credit report?

On two separate occasions, bank errors froze my credit card accounts. Why would I want to give them more control over my ability to conduct business?

Cash is the simplest medium of exchange with the least amount of hassle. Call me obsolete, but I am not interested in a cashless society. I hope my fellow citizens are equally unwilling to give up the freedom that cash provides.

When you let your freedom go, you allow others to more easily control you. If you don’t want this to happen, you may want to use cash more often. If those who run this country think we aren’t using cash, the option could be eliminated, as the letter writer smugly predicted.

This “Viewpoint” was written by Bruce R. Frohman, a hobbyist from Modesto, Calif.

Viewpoint is a forum for the expression of opinion on a variety of numismatic subjects.

To have your opinion considered for Viewpoint, write to David C. Harper, Editor, Numismatic News, 700 E. State St., Iola, WI 54990. Send email to david.harper@fwcommunity.com.

More Collecting Resources
• Are you a U.S. coin collector? Check out the 2016 U.S. Coin Digest for the most recent coin prices.
• If you enjoy reading about what inspires coin designs, you'll want to check out Fascinating Facts, Mysteries & Myths about U.S. Coins.