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5 Cents Louisiana State Penitentiary
| Issuer | Louisiana State Penitentiary Commissary |
|---|---|
| Year | |
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| Value | 5 Cents 0.05 USD = CZK 1.07 |
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| Obverse description | Blue letterpress text on yellow underprint, with the denomination numeral '5' in large blue figures at right within a decorative border. Red serial number appears at lower centre. A left panel carries the commissary restriction legend, with a perforated detachment warning at lower left. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | LOUISIANA STATE PENITENTIARY COMMISSARY Good In Trade Only NOT GOOD IF DETACHED 5 CENTS |
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| Comments |
Prison commissary scrip occupies a legal grey zone — issued by a state institution but functioning as private currency, redeemable only within the facility and worthless outside it. Louisiana State Penitentiary, better known as Angola, operated its commissary scrip system to manage inmate purchasing without introducing federal currency into the prison population, reducing both theft and the leverage that cash creates in a closed environment.
Paper scrip of this denomination survives in small numbers, largely because departing inmates had no reason to keep it and prison administrators routinely destroyed retired stock.