marked with ink (overall production method/technique)
Measurements:
average spatial: 97.9 mm x 133.6 mm; x 3 7/8 in x 5 1/4 in
Object Name:
shell money, clam
alternative currency
Other Terms:
shell money, clam; North America; California, Pismo Beach
Place made:
United States: California, Pismo Beach
Used:
United States: California, Pismo Beach
Date made:
1933
Used date:
1933
Description:
When the nation's banks closed during the Depression, Leiter's Pharmacy in Pismo Beach, California, issued this clamshell as change.
The 1929 stock market crash triggered banking panics, as people rushed to withdraw their savings before they were lost. In March 1933, President Roosevelt ordered a four-day bank holiday to prevent further withdrawals. To compensate for the currency shortage, communities created emergency money, or scrip. This clamshell was signed as it changed hands and redeemed when cash became available again.
