1 Cent - Schwegmann Bros. Giant Super Markets

Schwegmann Brothers ran one of the most aggressively idiosyncratic retail operations in mid-century America, and their private scrip program was entirely in character. When Louisiana's blue laws and banking customs created change-making headaches — particularly around sales tax calculations — John Schwegmann simply printed his own fractional currency, redeemable in-store. It was legally permissible as a merchant coupon instrument rather than a true monetary obligation.

The guilloche printing kept casual counterfeiting uneconomical relative to the face value, which was the practical minimum required for the scheme to function. These circulated heavily within the New Orleans metro customer base and most were spent, not saved.