Private scrip issued by a bar and bait shop — the "B & B" almost certainly stands for both — was a genuine feature of small-town Wisconsin commerce, particularly in resort and fishing communities where seasonal cash flow was uneven and customer loyalty worth locking in. Chetek sits on a chain of lakes in Barron County, and local scrip of this type typically circulated within a tight radius: the issuing establishment and its immediate neighbors.
The 4-dollar denomination is the tell. Odd-value scrip usually pegged to a specific transaction — a night's accommodation, a bucket of minnows, a tab — rather than general exchange.
Private scrip issued by a bar and bait shop — the "B & B" almost certainly stands for both — was a genuine feature of small-town Wisconsin commerce, particularly in resort and fishing communities where seasonal cash flow was uneven and customer loyalty worth locking in. Chetek sits on a chain of lakes in Barron County, and local scrip of this type typically circulated within a tight radius: the issuing establishment and its immediate neighbors.
The 4-dollar denomination is the tell. Odd-value scrip usually pegged to a specific transaction — a night's accommodation, a bucket of minnows, a tab — rather than general exchange.