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1 Cent - Allens Market Chicago, Illinois
| Issuer | Allens Market |
|---|---|
| Year | |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Paper |
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| Obverse description | Yellow paper with an ornate letterpress border of scrollwork and corner medallions each bearing '1c'. A circular vignette at lower left shows scales of justice with produce. At centre, a faint oval underprint vignette of a figure. Denomination 'ONE CENT' appears at lower right, with 'ONE CENT CREDIT SLIP' in a ruled panel at foot. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Plain yellow paper with an all-over geometric basket-weave underprint pattern. No printed text or vignettes; a faint ornamental device is discernible near centre. |
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| Comments |
Allens Market was one of hundreds of American retail grocers and general stores that issued their own fractional paper scrip during the early 1930s, when the hoarding of coins following the banking panics created a genuine shortage of small change in everyday commerce. These merchant-issued cents were a practical workaround — accepted in-store, occasionally circulating among neighboring businesses, and utterly without legal backing. The federal government tolerated them briefly before clamping down as recovery programs stabilized the coin supply.
Allens Market's Chicago issue is otherwise undocumented in major scrip references, which is itself typical of hyper-local store currency that was printed in small runs and rarely survived redemption.