#  The Primary Certified Currency Framework

* Version of this text: 0.1.3

* License of this text: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC-by 4.0)

* Management of this Framework

* Author: Joseph Potvin <[email protected]>

* https://xalgorithms.redminepro.net/projects/certified-currency-working-group/wiki/Wiki

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## Summary

This framework describes a method for participants along a supply chain to anchor contract worth (expressed with money through price) to independently verifiable data on primary productive capacity.

##  Purpose

When contracting parties establish their intentions in a signed document, they have a mutual interest in protecting their intended terms of agreement from external drift and volatility among inputs and outputs.[1] The Primary Certified Currency Framework is designed to provide participating businesses, their suppliers and their customers along a supply chain a peer-to-peer contractual arrangement to reduce risk caused by external factors that degrade contractual intent and market integrity.

The Primary Certified Currency Framework:

* can be implemented with any paper or polymer currency; 

* aligns with existing laws and business norms;

* employs well-established instruments of commerce;

* upholds competitive market freedoms; and,

* features uncomplicated accession, verification, operation, expansion and termination.

## Relationship

Each participant signs an “Accession Letter of Agreement” to a referenced version of the Primary Certified Currency Framework. This establishes a decentralized, distributed, peer-to-peer contractual relationship with all other Signatories of equivalent Accession Letters of Agreement that reference the same version of the Framework. The resulting contractual relationship among Signatories has no central or primary entity or individual. 

* Each Signatory is entitled to vote in elections for Steering Committee members. There shall be a minimum of three active Steering Committee members.

* The Steering Committee has enforceable authority ONLY within the contractual and operational scope of the version of the Primary Certified Currency Framework that is referenced in the active Accession Letters.

* Steering Committee decisions are determined by "working consensus" (i.e. vote results may include "accepted" or "abstained", but none are "opposed"). In cases where a working consensus cannot be reached, the Signatories convene and provide delegates to a meeting (in-person or online) to discuss and resolve the matter. 

* The Steering Committee may request that one or more individuals serve as ‘Coordinator(s)’. This role carries no enforceable management authority over the Signatories, or their assets.  

The Primary Certified Currency Framework describes a non-restrictive, non-exclusive arrangement: 

* An Accession Letter to the Primary Certified Currency Framework does not restrict the Signatory, their companies or partners or clients or relatives from offering or engaging similar services, or derivative service types, or supplementary services under other titles outside the scope of this agreement. However the name "Primary Certified Currency” is reserved for reference to successive versions of this Framework and its implementations.

* Participation in a Primary Certified Currency Framework contract does not impinge on the prerogatives or responsibilities of any Signatory in relation to any other formal or informal contract or process. 

* No Accession Letter to the Primary Certified Currency Framework restricts extension of the agreement to additional participants, however with a written explanation the Steering Committee may decline or terminate any Accession Letter and therefore return the stored currency to that Signatory. 

* Other than within the contractual terms of the Accession Letter of Agreement, no Signatory acquires any liability or authority in relation to any other Signatory of another Accession Letter to the Primary Certified Currency Framework. 

##  Method

###  Warehouses

The Steering Committee determines and oversees implementations of the security model, operations model, user fee structure, audit model, and maximum amount of risk tolerance for storing cash in Primary Certified Currency Warehouses.

* Signatories may store in Primary Certified Currency Warehouses paper or polymer currency in denominations specified by the Steering Committee (e.g. $10 bills; $20 bills; $50 bills; $100 bills). If a jurisdiction terminates the use of paper or polymer cash, other types of controlled paper or polymer instruments with verifiable unique serial numbers will suffice (e.g. an agreed selection of gift certificates).[2]

* All paper or polymer currency physically stored in a Primary Certified Currency Warehouse is contractually deemed to be “restricted cash” that MUST NOT mingle and MUST NOT be leveraged by or for operational requirements. ( https://www.wallstreetmojo.com/restricted-cash/ )

* The Steering Committee is accountable to ensure a free, fair and competitive market for operators of Primary Certified Currency Warehouses.

* Storage service fees are administered in relation to audited operational costs that are reported to all Signatories, without linkage to the worth or ownership profile of the stored currency bills. 

* Each warehouse operates a currency sorting method with serial number recognition, counterfeit detection, and multi-currency capability (example: https://financialequipmentcompany.com/product/gd-bps-c4-15a-currency-sorter-with-air-assist/). 

* Primary Certified Currency Warehouses accept ONLY bills that meet at least the quality standard PMG 65 EPG (Paper Money Guaranty / Exceptional Paper Quality; https://www.pmgnotes.com/about/about-pmg). 

* The Operator of an Primary Certified Currency Warehouse stores physical paper and polymer currency bills in the alphanumeric order of their serial numbers, and provides support for prompt and easy on-site inspection. 

* Any Signatory to the Primary Certified Currency Framework, and any jurisdictional regulator, may send a notary, accountant or lawyer to verify the physical existence of any particular bill(s) in the Primary Certified Currency warehouse, without appointment but with the requirement for recognized credentials, at any time during regular business hours customary within the municipality where the warehouse is situated. 

###  Certification

When a Signatory to the Primary Certified Currency Framework places a paper or polymer currency bill for storage into a Primary Certified Currency Warehouse, the Operator of the warehouse immediately: 

* Issues to the owner an electronic Primary Certified Currency Warehouse Receipt with the serial number of the deposited paper or polymer currency bill, along with the identity and contact details of the current owner of the stored bill; and,

* Updates the Primary Certified Currency Registry which relates the serial number of the deposited paper or polymer currency bill to the identity and contact details of the current owner of the stored bill. 

Except as specified in a “Variance to the Primary Certified Currency Framework” documented and signed by the Steering Committee, and promptly posted online (e.g. via the Steering Committee’s official Web site and messaging networks):

* Each Primary Certified Currency Warehouse Receipt shall conform with:

** The UNCITRAL Model Law on Warehouse Receipts (MLWR), or if that is not yet published, then it shall confirm with: the most recent UNIDROIT recommendations for the MLWR (2022) https://www.unidroit.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Study-LXXXIII-W.G.4-Doc.-3-Preliminary-Draft-Model-Law.pdf 

https://www.unidroit.org/work-in-progress/model-law-on-warehouse-receipts/ 

** The most recent UNCITRAL Model Law on Electronic Transferable Records (MLETR) https://uncitral.un.org/en/texts/ecommerce/modellaw/electronic_transferable_records.

* The Primary Certified Currency Ownership Registry shall conform with the UNIDROIT Guide on Best Practices for Electronic Collateral Registries (2021) https://ctcap.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/BPER-Guide-9-September-Web-Copy.pdf. 

## Certified Payment

At any time the transfer of ownership of Primary Certified Currency is accomplished with the re-assignment of a warehouse receipt, and a registry update, but with no movement of the securely-stored paper or polymer bills.

A Signatory of an Accession Letter to the Primary Certified Currency Framework who owns a paper or polymer currency bill stored in a Primary Certified Currency Warehouse may transfer ownership to any other Signatory, by completing both of the following two actions: 

* Assign and give full possession of the Primary Certified Currency Warehouse Receipt with the particular serial number to the other Signatory of the same or a more recent version of the framework. The Warehouse Receipt itself must be updated with the identity and contact details of the new owner of the paper or polymer currency bill.

* Validate that the Primary Certified Currency Registry is also updated with the identity and contact details of the new owner of the corresponding currency bill. 

While respecting the privacy and confidentiality of the parties, every apparent ownership discrepancy that arises between a Primary Certified Currency Warehouse Receipt and the Primary Certified Currency Registry shall be:

* Immediately documented for all Signatories via the Steering Committee’s official Web site and messaging networks; and,

* Promptly resolved under the accountability and oversight of the Steering Committee.

* Reviewed as part of the normal scrutiny of the auditor, who functions at arms length from the Steering Committee.

##  Certified Worth

The currency bills stored in a Primary Certified Currency Warehouse constitute a specialized numismatic collection in which each serial number listed in the registry is matched with an owner. Currency artifacts in numismatic collections commonly have market values that differ from their face values. In this arrangement, worth is anchored to a set of external factors expressed though an index[3], the methodology for which is detailed in the present version of the Primary Certified Currency Framework, and referenced in Accession Letters. 

When Signatories to the Primary Certified Currency Framework agree to express contract price and payment in the Primary Certified Currency, this means they intend to hold  

Their market worth among Signatories to the same or a more recent version of the the Primary Certified Currency Framework

Earth Reserve Index of Primary Productive Capacity (variance from empirically validated optimal productivity):

* Soil Moisture

* Summer Season NDVI

Data Sources: 

https://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/data/   

https://sentinel.esa.int/web/sentinel/home 

Background: https://www.spiedigitallibrary.org/journals/SPIE-Reviews/volume-2/issue-1/028001/Review-and-evaluation-of-remote-sensing-methods-for-soil-moisture/10.1117/1.3534910.full?SSO=1 

##  Effective Dates 

This Primary Certified Currency Framework represents the understanding of each Signatory as of the date of their respective Accession Letter of Agreement, specifying a particular version number.

In recognition of the mutual dependencies of this initiative, each Signatory agrees to give 90 days written notice to the Primary Certified Currency Steering Committee of their intention to withdraw. Any contractual obligations that the Signatories have autonomously undertaken in relation to the present Framework will be concluded as early as deemed practicable, in communication with the Steering Committee. 

The Primary Certified Currency Framework is in effect with a minimum of two active Accession Letters of Agreement (including post-notification periods). 

______________

Notes: 

[1] The Principles of International Commercial Contracts are published by the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law / L'Institut international pour l'unification du droit privé (UNIDROIT). Article 4.1 (Intention of the parties) states that "(1) A contract shall be interpreted according to the common intention of the parties. (2) If such an intention cannot be established, the contract shall be interpreted according to the meaning that reasonable persons of the same kind as the parties would give to it in the same circumstances."  An example of external drift and volatility is the dramatic increase in farm machinery prices since 2020, which undermines agricultural market integrity:

https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/PCU333111333111 

https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/PCU333111333111C 

[2] Gift certificates are considered by governments to be a form of money. For example in Canada: "Legislative reference: Section 181.2 of the Excise Tax Act (''ETA'') 181.2 Gift certificates — For the purposes of this Part, the issuance or sale of a gift certificate for consideration shall be deemed not to be a supply and, when given as consideration for a supply of property or a service, the gift certificate shall be deemed to be money." https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/forms-publications/publications/p-202/gift-certificates.html 

[3] Article 5.1.7 (Comment 4) of the UNIDROIT Principles of International Commercial Contracts states: "In some situations the price is to be fixed by reference to external factors, typically a published index, or quotations on a commodity exchange”.  

##  Template for Accession Letters of Agreement to the Primary Certified Currency Framework

[ _This template text constitutes an integral part of the Primary Certified Currency Framework. Please do not include this note in an Accession Letter of Agreement._ ]

*Accession Letter of Agreement* 

*Between* 

XXXXXXXXX 

*and* 

*All Other Signatories of Accession Letters of Agreement to the Primary Certified Currency Framework*

This Agreement applies to +Primary Certified Currency Framework, Version No. 0.1.1+ 

###  Mutual Agreement

In exchange for the benefits that participation in the Primary Certified Currency Framework, the Signatory agrees to the user fees established by the Steering Committee. 

The undersigned acknowledges mutual dependencies among all Signatories of Accession Letters to the Primary Certified Currency Framework, and commits to the following terms regarding participation and termination: 

1. The undersigned's participation in the Primary Certified Currency Framework can be accepted as well as terminated by a working consensus vote amongst all other current Signatories. For an acceptance and termination vote to apply, it must be "agreed to" or "abstained from" by all other current members, and not "opposed" by any. Termination by the Steering Committee of an existing Accession Letter of Agreement requires at least 3 months advance written notice from (or on behalf) of the Steering Committee. 

2. The undersigned will provide at least 30 days notice month written notice to the Primary Certified Currency Steering Committee before terminating their Accession Letter.. 

+The undersigned+: 

* Attests to holding the prerogative to enter into agreements or contracts; 

* Has reviewed and understood the above-noted version of the "Primary Certified Currency Framework 

* Has determined that use of the systems, services and/or infrastructure of the Primary Certified Currency Framework enables their team or community to accomplish their objectives more effectively, at lower cost and/or with stronger risk management, than is otherwise currently feasible. 

###  

This Accession Letter of Agreement expresses the intentions of the Undersigned on the date of the most recent update.. 

Signatory's Name: XXXXXX 

Organization Name (if relevant): XXXXXX 

Municipal Address: 

 XXXXXX 

 XXXXXX 

 XXXXXX 

Mobile Phone: XXXXXX 

Email: XXXXXX 

+The following fields are to be completed ONLY by a person authorized by the Primary Certified Currency Steering Committee.+ 

The Undersigned attests that the Primary Certified Currency Steering Committee has, through a "working consensus" vote as defined in the Framework, recognizes this Accession Letter of Agreement. 

Authorized Representative's Name: 

Date:  XXXXXX

Mobile Phone: XXXXXX 

Email: XXXXXX