Alternate currency hoping to buy confidence, change views

From Saturday's Winston-Salem Journal:

(AP): What's in your wallet? If it's a Liberty Dollar, watch out. Similar in size and design to the U.S. Mint coins that are legal tender for all debts, public and private, Liberty Dollars are stamped from 1troy ounce of 0.999 fine silver with a supposed face value of $20. It's an alternative currency accepted by about 85 businesses in Asheville.
The trouble is that it's illegal under federal law to try and pass money not minted or printed by the federal government, and it's an offense punishable by an expensive fine, up to five years in prison, or both. So unless those spending Liberty Dollars are clear about just what they're using to pay their bills - that they're "bartering silver" for goods and services and not paying with federal cash - they risk prosecution.