1 Cent - Safeway Stores, Incorporated Richmond, Virginia

Safeway Stores issued paper scrip in small denominations during the early-to-mid twentieth century as a practical solution to coin shortages at the checkout — a recurring problem in American retail that drove dozens of grocery chains to print their own fractional currency. This particular piece, redeemable at Safeway locations and tied to the Richmond, Virginia operation, functioned as change substitute rather than a loyalty token or promotional issue.

Corporate store scrip of this type was never legal tender and had no circulation outside the issuing chain, which makes survival rates genuinely low — most were spent, not saved.