BerkShares is a local currency that circulates in The Berkshires region of Massachusetts. It was launched on September 29, 2006[1] by BerkShares Inc., with research and development assistance from the New Economics Institute. The BerkShares website lists over 370 businesses in Berkshire County that accept the currency.[2] In 30 months, 2.2 million BerkShares have been issued from 12 branch offices of five local banks.[3] The bills were designed by John Isaacs[4] and are printed by Excelsior Printing on special paper with incorporated security features from Crane & Co..[5] BerkShares are pegged with an exchange rate to the US dollar, but Nick Kacher of the New Economics Institute has discussed the possibility of pegging its value to a basket of local goods in order to insulate the local economy against volatility in the US economy.[6]