25 Cents - Schwegmann Bros. Giant Super Markets

Schwegmann Bros. Giant Super Markets issued scrip denominated in U.S. cents during a period when the United States was experiencing a genuine coin shortage severe enough that private businesses, transit systems, and municipalities resorted to producing their own small-change substitutes. The New Orleans chain — a local institution at the time, known for its cavernous warehouse-style stores — printed and circulated this scrip locally, redeemable against purchases. It was legal under the specific exemptions that distinguished retailer-issued exchange media from federally prohibited currency substitutes.

The coin shortage of the late 1960s traced directly to rising silver prices and hoarding that followed the Coinage Act of 1965, which removed silver from dimes and quarters. Schwegmann's scrip is a physical record of that disruption hitting the checkout lane.