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 Replies: 24 / Views: 22,816 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4409 Posts |
Recently found three U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Coupons among some papers I was sorting through. I posted on an older thread earlier this year that my parents purchased a grocery store in the mid-1990s and that I remembered people using these. The coupons were phased out and replaced with an EBT-card much like a debit card. Merchants were provided the machine to accept EBT at no cost. However, the most recent farm bill ended the free machines--merchants either had to buy the machine or find another processor. I think this is the last series of Food Coupons or Food Stamps that was issued before the switch. The ragged left margin is where they were removed from the booklet.    I also have in my possession an old EBT card that is no longer valid. -MV |
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Rest in Peace
United States
7075 Posts |
Those are interesting.
Thanks for sharing.
I had to squint a bit to see the year -- 1996. It doesn't seem so very long ago.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2850 Posts |
Very cool.
I like the little snippet of the design from the reverse of the modern $2 bill.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1373 Posts |
I haven't seen them in quite a while since they went to the computer cards. You will need the other series of bills to complete your set (I know there was at least the $5 bill and pretty sure there also was a $10, but not sure of anything larger). Also, I remember giving out welfare coins for change too, as people weren't allowed 'real' money for change. This was basically back in the 1970's when I was a cashier.
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
4409 Posts |
Yes these are Series 1996 B
I have several of the $1 coupons as every (at least from my recollection) individual received some in their booklets.
I'll have my mom look for the group of coupons she gave me after the USDA quit redeeming them. I am pretty certain I have a $10 coupon. The $5 I'm less sure of.
-MV
Edited by MeadowviewCollector
08/10/2015 9:58 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
959 Posts |
EBT..........."Eat Better Tonight".
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1373 Posts |
I Google'd and found pics of a few more types online. Aside from the brown $1 'bills', there is the blueish-purple $5 Jefferson, the green $10 Hamilton, and the dark blue $20 Lincoln. I haven't found any higher scrip's than the $20.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
742 Posts |
The 20.00 was never issued. Those on the market are reproductions of a proposed design.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
742 Posts |
These were illegal to own until a few years ago. ebay only recently lifted their ban on selling them. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5198 Posts |
The age old wet food stamp in your shoe so you wouldn't get robbed on the way to the corner store.
Many were sold for pennies on the dollar or bartered for well I'm sure you know.
I think you'd be hard pressed to find a CU food stamp of any date unless it was found in some government surplus warehouse and never issued.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
742 Posts |
Several unused booklets from all periods of the program have been available in the collector marketplace for years. CU examples are easy to find.
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Rest in Peace
United States
17900 Posts |
As Lettow said, these and almost all of their relation are easy to find.
BUT - (and please pardon me if I go into another related field of tokens) many small stores and chains that accepted food stamps gave their change back in TOKENS useful only at that store.
So if you become interested in this field of collecting, it would make sense to look into the tokens, too.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
822 Posts |
Here are a couple from an earlier series. I'd like to know if a catalog exists for these.   |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
822 Posts |
"The 20.00 was never issued. Those on the market are reproductions of a proposed design." Here is an image of that unreleased $20. The Banknote Corp. of America was a spin-off, created when International Bank Note merged with U.S. Bank Note Corp., effectively creating a U.S. monopoly. BCA was sold to a French interest as a way to create "competition" in the U.S. market and avoid anti-trust litigation. But the food stamp contract still went to US Banknote.  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1812 Posts |
I found a few unused books when sorting through my late Brothers belongings in 2008...
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4409 Posts |
Raising this zombie thread from the dead to add an image of a ten dollar food stamp I rediscovered in a drawer. I knew I had one but couldn't find it when I originally posted this. Series 1997 B $10  It has a stain in the portrait area however it is the only one saved from the redemption pile. Guess I did not save a $5 food stamp. |
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Replies: 24 / Views: 22,816 |
Posted 08/10/2015 9:12 pm
