1 Cent - A.J. Bayless Phoenix Arizona

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.