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Variable Cent - Food Stamp Scrip
| Issuer | U.S. Department of Agriculture |
|---|---|
| Year | |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Dollar (1785-date) |
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| Obverse description | White paper scrip with a small black vignette of an armored Roman soldier upper left, above fill-in lines for store name and date. Central bold letterpress title FOOD STAMP CREDIT with the restriction NOT VALID FOR MORE THAN 49¢ beneath; fields for amount in cents, cashier signature, and a detachable stub at foot separated by a dashed cut line. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | NO. STORE NAME DATE FOOD STAMP CREDIT (NOT VALID FOR MORE THAN 49¢) AMT. CENTS ¢ CASHIER REDEEMABLE ONLY ON FOOD PRODUCTS ELIGIBLE UNDER U.S. FOOD STAMP PROGRAM. NO. FOOD STAMP CREDIT ¢ |
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| Comments |
USDA food stamp scrip occupies an odd corner of American fiscal history — these small-denomination "change" pieces were issued to bridge the gap when a food stamp coupon exceeded the cost of a purchase, returning value in fractional cents rather than allowing cashiers to give change in cash. The program rules prohibited cash change from stamps, so scrip like this existed purely as a regulatory workaround.
The variable cent designation means the denomination was not pre-printed but marked or stamped at point of issue. Retention rates were poor — most were spent quickly or discarded — making survivors genuinely uncommon.