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1 Cent - Otis Finer Foods Chicago, Illinois
| Issuer | Otis Finer Foods |
|---|---|
| Year | |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Size | 94 x 61 mm |
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| Obverse description | Yellow paper with a crosshatch underprint throughout. A decorative border of scrollwork and wave patterns frames the face. At left center, a circular vignette contains a scales-of-justice motif; at right, a faint Liberty-figure underprint stamp. Denomination circles reading "1c" occupy all four corners, with "ONE CENT CREDIT SLIP" in a panel at foot. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Plain yellow paper with an all-over fine crosshatch underprint pattern in a slightly lighter shade; no printed text or vignette present. |
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| Comments |
Otis Finer Foods was a Chicago-based grocery chain that issued paper scrip as a customer convenience or promotional mechanism — a practice common among mid-century American retailers before electronic point-of-sale systems made fractional change trivial to handle. These small-denomination paper pieces circulated within the store ecosystem, typically redeemable against future purchases rather than for cash.
Private merchant scrip of this type was never federally regulated and exists in enormous variety across the U.S. Survival rates are low — most were redeemed and discarded, treated as receipts rather than collectibles.