Catalog
1 Cent - Veterans Canteen Service
| Issuer | Veterans Administration - Veterans Canteen Service |
|---|---|
| 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 | 51 × 27 mm |
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| Printer | Log in to see details |
| Designer(s) | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | 1 CENT VETERANS ADMINISTRATION VETERANS CANTEEN SERVICE GOOD FOR FACE VALUE IN TRADE NOT GOOD IF DETACHED |
| Reverse description | Plain pale green reverse with no border decoration, printed in black letterpress. The issuing authority appears at the top, the large denomination numeral '1' with 'CENT' is centered, and the service name is printed at the bottom, the overall layout spare and utilitarian. |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Signature(s) | Log in to see details |
| Protection type | Log in to see details |
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| Comments |
The Veterans Canteen Service was established by Congress in 1946 to provide low-cost goods and services to veterans receiving care at VA facilities. These paper scrip tokens — fractions of a dollar, non-negotiable outside the canteen system — were a practical solution to the problem of hospitalized veterans needing small purchasing power without handling regular currency in a controlled ward environment.
The TC# reference places this in the Trade Check cataloguing system. At 51 × 27 mm, the format is closer to a ticket stub than a banknote, which is precisely what it functioned as.