Promotional Scrip and Ephemeral Issues
Substitute currency issued outside the banking system —by chambers of commerce, local celebrations, or promotional campaigns— and intended to circulate briefly before being redeemed or collected as a souvenir.
The “Scrip” of the Great Depression
During the Great Depression of the 1930s, a shortage of circulating money led hundreds of U.S. municipalities, chambers of commerce, and merchants to issue their own “scrip” —substitute paper money, without federal government backing, redeemable at local businesses or by the issuing entity itself within a set period.
A particular subgenre of this phenomenon is commemorative or promotional scrip: issued not out of strict monetary necessity, but to celebrate an anniversary, festival, or civic event, combining the function of temporary currency with that of a collectible souvenir. The Ringling Bros. 50th-anniversary scrip in Baraboo, Wisconsin, is a characteristic example of this category.
Ringling Bros. 50th Anniversary — Baraboo, Wisconsin
Baraboo Chamber of Commerce, Wisconsin · Golden Jubilee, 1933 · series of 5¢, 10¢, 15¢, and $1.
