400 Cents - J.A. Moisan Quebec

J.A. Moisan, operating out of Quebec City, bills itself as the oldest grocery store in North America, a claim tied to its founding in 1871 on rue Saint-Jean. This 400-cent note is a commercial scrip piece — promotional paper issued by the store itself, not a financial institution — denominated in a unit that has no existence outside Moisan's own walls. The choice of 400 cents rather than 4 dollars is a deliberate eccentricity, the kind of house currency that works precisely because it feels slightly unfamiliar.

Deschamps Impression, the Quebec City printer responsible for this piece, has been operating since 1926 and handles a range of specialty commercial print work.