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1 Cent - Central Markets Schenectady, New York
| Issuer | U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) |
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| Year | |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Cent 0.01 USD = EUR 0.0085 |
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| Obverse description | Plain cream-colored stock printed entirely in black letterpress. The header reads U.S.D.A. FOOD STAMP, with the large bold denomination numeral 1¢ centered between flanking CREDIT inscriptions. Restriction clauses and a serial number are printed in the lower half. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Reverse is unprinted cream-colored stock, nearly blank save for faint ink offset from the obverse visible through the paper, and a handwritten pencil notation in the upper left corner reading Central Mkt. |
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| Comments |
USDA-issued food coupons in fractional cent denominations were a practical necessity created by an arithmetic problem: the commodity price support programs of the 1930s through 1960s operated in quantities that didn't divide evenly into whole-cent values, leaving retailers unable to make change without a sub-denomination instrument. The Central Markets series, issued for specific authorized retailers rather than at the national level, represents the localized administration that characterized the program's early years before consolidation under more uniform federal coupon books.
The near-square format is unusual enough to complicate storage and cataloging — most coupon issues ran rectangular.