Qazvin Locals Start Charging Toll in Homemade Currency
In the mountain-shadowed town of Qazvin, enterprising locals have responded to mass migration and fuel shortages with the launch of their own homemade currency—known as QarzCoin, a physical token system based on sardine tins, crushed rose petals, and expired SIM cards.
The toll, initially set at “a blessing and a pack of gum,” has evolved into a full-blown black-market economy. Crossing a neighborhood street now costs three QarzCoins, or two if you compliment the toll collector’s mustache.
“We didn’t want to profit,” said neighborhood elder Uncle Babak, counting his stash inside a teahouse bunker. “But chaos demands creativity—and sardine tins stack nicely.”
Tourists and fleeing residents are bewildered. Some try to pay with cash, only to be told, “This is Tehran money. It means nothing here.”
Digital payment? Forget it. The QarzCoin economy rejects apps, credit cards, and logic.
A Tehran refugee was seen trying to trade actual gold for three tokens and a lukewarm soda. He was denied.
The mayor of Qazvin reluctantly legalized the currency after realizing the city had stopped running on laws and now operated purely on negotiated symbolism and petty vengeance.
Meanwhile, counterfeiters are already at work, flooding the market with fake petals and bootleg sardine lids made in Azerbaijan. Local authorities responded by issuing holographic stamps, which were immediately stolen.
The World Bank issued a statement simply reading: “Good luck.”
SOURCE: IRAN: Tehran Evacuation