Re: First known purchase of physical goods with cyberbucks

[Matt Thomlinson <mattt@microsoft.com>]

don't forget GhostMarks! :)

matt
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From: Timothy C. May  <tcmay@got.net>
To: "Marcel van der Peijl"  <bigmac@digicash.com>;  <mark@unicorn.com>
Cc:  <cypherpunks@toad.com>;  <ecm@ai.mit.edu>;  <steve@webmedia.com>
Subject: Re: First known purchase of physical goods with cyberbucks
Date: Thursday, August 17, 1995 11:59AM

At 6:39 PM 8/17/95, Marcel van der Peijl wrote:
>> Anyway, if anyone knows of an earlier transaction of cyberbucks for physical
>> goods than this (at 15:00 GMT 17th August 1995), then please let me know.
>
>As far as I know, the first transaction took place when I (while
>testing) bought a postcard from GlobalX, the first ecash store to
>open besides our own (and mine). It is stored in the 'DigiCash
>museum' next to early prototypes of all kinds of smartcards,
>emulators, wallets etc.
>
>This must have been around October last year (or August? Can't make
>out the postmark). Hundreds of cards were shipped by several shops,
>and stickers, lotteries, etc. Check the 'physical objects' section
>on http://www.digicash.com/shops/categorical.html
>
>Maybe you should restrict the 'first known' claim to 'first known
>purchase of physical goods with cyberbucks traded at the ECM'.
>
>Sorry!

Also, there are other potential claims for this sort of thing. Based on
varying extents to which the "electronic money" is really secure, is
cryptographically interesting, etc.

For example, more than two years ago on this list (I think it was spring of
'93, but it could've been spring of '94) there were a flurry of
transactions involving the "MagicMoney" and "TackyTokens" of Pr0ductCypher
and others. I recall Black Unicorn and others talking about transactional
exchanges involving sixpacks of beer or soft drinks. I could check my
archives, but you get the point.

And before that, there were "HExmarks" being used on the Extropians list.
There was a nominal conversion rate to real dollars, and at the time I left
that list, I had more HExmarks than anyone else.

And dozens of token-based systems, coupons, LETS systems, etc. Not to
mention the various commercial smartcards and "e money" systems.

Granted, most of these are not "Chaumian," which is what most of us think
of us as digital cash.

Claiming credit for being first is a tough issue.

--Tim May

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