Behold the parallel American currency: Military Payment Certificates. It’s used on bases, of course; if you tried to give this to a clerk at Target they’d think you were daft.

They issued in all sorts of denominations, including the Quarter Note. Yes, a soldier feels he’s the richest man in the world when he has a fistful of twenty-five cent notes. At leastthe note has a stern martial character - the hat would make the fellow fall over, probably, but at least he has a fasces for a counterweight.

Twenty-five cents! Well, surely the next few bills will be more impressive.