USA VIRGINIA scrip JEWELL RIDGE COAL CORP

Description

What we call scrip, or sometimes script, in the context of American rural industry, are the tokens used in the company stores. Most company stores were ripoff agencies selling overpriced stuff to a captive customer base using tokens that couldn’t be spent anywhere else.

A token is used like a coin but is not a coin. Rather, it stands for a coin without the value of the coin. Maybe its copper, but says its value is the same as a silver coin. Usually tokens were made privately, but sometimes governments got involved.