Pieces of eight! Pieces of eight!

In a café this afternoon, a young father introduced his son, who could not have been older than 8, to the use of a credit card. He showed the boy how to add a tip, and how to sign the bill. He proudly explained to the boy, "Today you have made your first purchase! Good for you!" The day is not far off when banknotes and coins will be rare, and they will look as quaint to the boy as Spanish doubloons look to us.