25 Cents - Maine State Prison

Maine State Prison, located in Thomaston, operated its own internal scrip system to facilitate transactions within the facility — a practice that was common among large American penal institutions before federal regulations curtailed the use of institutional currency in the twentieth century. This 25-cent denomination is among the smallest issued in the series, reflecting the low-value exchange needs of the prison store economy.

The extreme miniature format was deliberate — small enough to be difficult to pass outside the walls as legitimate tender.