Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. Alternative currency is a term that refers to any currency used as an alternative to the dominant national or multinational currency systems. Alternative currencies can be created by an individual, corporation, or organization, they can be created by national, state, or local governments, or they can arise naturally as people begin to use a certain commodity as a currency. Mutual credit is a form of alternative currency, and thus any form of lending that does not go through the banking system can be considered a form of alternative currency.