'I think it makes people think about money in a different way. What is it, why do we all go out to work in order to earn and whats the point of having this system?'
Amanda Brace, Local Exchange Trading Schemes.

	Five pound bank note issued by Brighthelmston Bank

In Tudor times, Brighton's major employer was the fishing fleet. In Victorian times, the railway was the biggest single employer. Today, the largest single employer is a finance company, American Express.

Brighton's first banks were small, local companies and investors took great risks. The Brightelmston Bank was hailed as an 'invaluable institution' when it opened in 1818. It collapsed 24 years later, ruining many local people. The only local bank to survive, the Brighton Union Bank, was taken over by Barclays in 1894.

	Reward and Caution poster for Blue Coach Robbery.

Banking also provided 'employment' for the Blue Coach Robbers, who broke into a strongbox on a stagecoach journey from London in 1812. The Brighton Union Bank changed the design of its banknotes as a result. Five people were arrested a year later.

Today, some local people in Brighton exchange skills and services without using money. They join a Local Exchange Trading Scheme and trade in tokens such as 'Brights' or 'Hans'.

See objects on display in the Finance section of Exploring Brighton gallery