In the summerof 1931, a series ofbankpanicsemanated from central Europe and spreadfinancial contagion, toGreat Britain, andthento the US and Franceandthe whole world.
In desperation, individuals turned to scrip during the bankpanics of 1893, 1907 and 1933, when towns, schools and other government bodies issued large paper certificates that could be used as cash substitutes.
Previous terms for these episodes were bank failures, financial panics, runs on currency, debt crises, liquidity runs, national defaults, bubbles, hyperinflation.