Once a favored replacement for cash amongst those traveling abroad, the travelers cheque is nearly extinct, having been gradually replaced by wider acceptance of credit cards and ubiquitous ATMs. Visual signature matching and watermark recognition are now antiquated preventive measures against identity theft, but are central to the working order of this form of currency.
Premier Celebrity Travelers Cheques is a proposal to revive the travelers cheque. Cheques are printed in limited editions and are adorned with the latest celebrity imagery, giving credence to the social value of celebrity as royalty. Authentication occurs through a process of mimicry in which the user replicates the celebrity's autograph as a means of verification and display of homage. A weekly mailer updates customers on the availability of cheque designs and the latest celebrity news and sitings.
The project culminated in a commemorative signing of the first $100 celebrity travelers cheque. Lucky winner Jürg Lehni was presented with a gigantic TomKat Celebrity Travelers Cheque which he authenticated to the applause of a packed room.
