1 Cent - Safeway Stores Phoenix, Arizona

Safeway's Phoenix Division issued these fractional cent notes in the early 1970s to manage till change during a period when the U.S. Mint was still recovering from the chronic coin shortages that had plagued circulation since the mid-1960s. Retailers across the American Southwest adopted divisional scrip rather than rounding prices — a practical accounting decision as much as a customer service one. Safeway's corporate structure meant redemption was theoretically limited to Phoenix Division stores, making cross-divisional use technically invalid.

Paper retail scrip of this type was rarely saved; checkout counter wear is the norm.