Catalog
1 Cent - Safeway Stores
| Issuer | Safeway Stores |
|---|---|
| Year | |
| Type | Vouchers |
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| Obverse description | Printed in black on pink paper, the obverse is enclosed within a continuous interlaced geometric border. The denomination "ONE CENT" appears in large bold type at centre-top, flanked left and right by starburst medallions each bearing the numeral "1c". Below, the inscription "FOOD STAMP CREDIT" is set in bold letterpress, followed by the redemption clause in smaller type. At the foot of the note, the Safeway "S" circular logo appears at both sides of the bold issuer legend "SAFEWAY STORES", with the approval notice "APPROVED BY U.S.D.A." centred beneath. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | ONE CENT 1C 1C FOOD STAMP CREDIT Redeemable Only By Participant of U.S. Govt. Food Stamp Program for Food Items on Authorized List ... at any— SAFEWAY STORES APPROVED BY U.S.D.A. |
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| Comments |
Safeway Stores issued small-denomination paper scrip primarily during the 1930s, when coin shortages and the practical difficulties of making exact change at high-volume grocery checkouts made fractional currency a genuine operational problem. This was not unique to Safeway — dozens of American retailers issued their own paper fractional notes during the Depression years — but Safeway's chain-wide distribution gave their scrip broader circulation than most local competitors could achieve.
Redeemable only at issuing locations, these pieces occupied a legal grey zone that federal authorities periodically scrutinized but never decisively moved against during the period.