5 Cents - State Food Stores Moundsville, West Virginia

Moundsville, West Virginia was home to the West Virginia State Penitentiary, and scrip of this type was almost certainly issued for use within a company-controlled retail environment — a practice that persisted in parts of Appalachia well into the mid-twentieth century, long after federal scrutiny had killed off most coal camp truck systems. Whether this specific token scrip circulated among employees or served a more restricted institutional purpose is not documented in the standard references.

At 52 x 23 mm, this is among the narrowest scrip formats produced — closer to a ticket stub than a banknote.