Ask Muammar Gaddafi, Abe Lincoln, or JFK how well that's likely to turn out.
A small town in central Italy is trying to go independent and mint its own money in protest at government austerity cuts.
Mayor Luca Sellari is trying to go it alone and set up a "principality" along the lines of the famous republic of San Marino to the north.
He has started minting Filettino's own bank currency, the "Fiorito," with his photo on the back, which he says is already being used by the townsfolk.
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