1860s N.D. Manchester NH Quimby's Periodical Mart 3 Cents Scrip - Rare New Hampshire Obsolete Three Cent Store Note

This listing is for the photographed 1860s No Date Manchester NH Quimby's Periodical and Stationary Store 3 Cents Obsolete Merchant Scrip Note. This note was issued without a specific date printed, for the Quimby's Stationary and Periodical Mart in Manchester, New Hampshire. Issued and signed, adding to the notes value. Choice Fine (F+) grade/condition, some visible folds and other signs of circulation. Rarity level 4 (R4) according to LaFond's catalogue on New Hampshire Merchant Scrip. Great rarer find with an incredibly interesting history!

In the United States during the 1860s, the issuance of merchant scrip became widespread as a practical response to severe coin shortages caused by the Civil War. As gold and silver coins disappeared from circulation local merchants and businesses began printing their own small denomination notes to facilitate everyday transactions. This “scrip” functioned as a substitute for official currency, acting much like modern-day store credit, allowing customers to buy goods or make change when federal money was scarce. Though unofficial and often limited in where it could be spent, merchant scrip helped keep local economies functioning until a stable supply of national currency returned later in the decade.

Alfred Quimby entered Manchester, New Hampshire in August of 1861, creating a newspaper delivery service monopoly in the city. He partnered with Francis L. Porter in this business endeavor. When the partnership dissolved a month later in September of 1861, Porter took over sole ownership of the delivery service aspect of the business, with Quimby taking over the stationary and periodical store. The store primarily sold books, periodicals, and stationary, it was located at 5 Hanover St. Quimby sold the bookstore in October of 1875 after over a decade of running the business successfully. He sold the store to Ryder & Co., but only two years later he resumed ownership of the bookstore. This resumed ownership was short lived, as he sold the business to William P. Goodman in 1881. 

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1860s N.D. Manchester NH Quimby's Periodical Mart 3 Cents Scrip - Rare New Hampshire Obsolete Three Cent Store Note