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1 Cent - A.J. Bayless Phoenix Arizona
| Issuer | A.J. Bayless Markets |
|---|---|
| Year | |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Dollar (1785-date) |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | 1₵ FOOD STAMP 1₵ CREDIT SLIP Redeemable ONLY in eligible foods at : A.J. Bayless "Your Home Town Grocer" 1₵ 1₵ |
| Reverse description | Entirely unprinted plain white stock, with faint show-through of the obverse underprint visible. A pencilled collector notation appears in the lower right corner. |
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| Comments |
A.J. Bayless was a Phoenix-based grocery chain that issued its own paper scrip during the early 1930s Depression years, when coin shortages and tight household budgets pushed regional retailers toward fractional currency substitutes. This 1 cent note is part of that broader American phenomenon of privately issued Depression scrip — technically illegal under federal statute but widely tolerated at the local level because it kept commerce moving when hard currency simply wasn't available in small denominations.
Bayless scrip was redeemable only in-store, functioning more as a loyalty instrument than a true monetary substitute. The chain eventually grew into one of Arizona's dominant grocery operations before folding in 1990.