don't forget GhostMarks! :) matt ---------- 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 ---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---- Timothy C. May | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money, tcmay@got.net (Got net?) | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero 408-728-0152 | knowledge, reputations, information markets, Corralitos, CA | black markets, collapse of governments. Higher Power: 2^756839 | Public Key: PGP and MailSafe available. "National borders are just speed bumps on the information superhighway."