One Cent Boise, Idaho

A wartime necessity. The 1943 coin shortage — driven by the shift to zinc-coated steel cents and the general disruption of metal supply chains for the war effort — left retailers across the United States scrambling for small change. Local scrip like this filled the gap where federal coinage couldn't reach. The Retail Merchants Bureau solution was printed locally by Beacon Litho Co., keeping production entirely within Boise rather than sourcing from an out-of-state specialty printer.

The square format was not accidental — it helped distinguish the scrip physically from federal currency by touch alone, reducing confusion at the point of sale.