Camel Cash 1 C-Note

Not currency in any legal sense — Camel Cash was R.J. Reynolds' loyalty coupon scheme, running from 1991 until its abrupt termination in 2007, which stranded millions of unredeemed "C-Notes" in smokers' drawers across the country. RJR pulled the program with roughly three months' notice, drawing genuine consumer anger and at least one class-action attempt. The 2002 dating places this squarely in the mid-program years, before the cancellation controversy made accumulation pointless.

These coupons were printed with deliberate currency-adjacent aesthetics — a known marketing strategy to reinforce brand loyalty through the tactile ritual of saving and spending. The relatively short physical length reflects the practical need to fit inside cigarette packaging.