1 Cent - Food Stop New York, New York

Food Stop Markets was a regional American grocery chain that issued scrip during the latter half of the twentieth century — a practice that persisted well after Depression-era necessity had faded, kept alive by loyalty programs and change-making convenience at the register. These small-denomination paper issues functioned as fractional currency within the store ecosystem, redeemable against purchases rather than convertible to federal coin.

Single-cent scrip is the hardest denomination to find uncirculated; the face value made hoarding irrational, so most pieces were spent immediately or discarded.