From: mpcgram-owner@papermoneyworld.net on behalf of MPCgram [mpcgram@yahoo.com] Sent: Wednesday, August 16, 2006 11:44 PM To: mpcgram@papermoneyworld.net Subject: MPCGram 1494 ------------------------ / MPC Gram News Letter / ----------------------- =========================================== MPC GRAM =========================================== Vol 7, no 1494 Wednesday August 16, 2006 Propaganda Issues by Jim Downey Paper money has been used for propoganda messages as early as the American War for Independence. In most circumstances, the propaganda leaflets are printed to look similar to currency of the country they are being dropped on. The purpose of this is to get the people to pick up the leaflets to read them. Recently unclassified documents in the United States National Archives relating to operations in World War II reveal that the United States Office of Strategic Services (OSS) - the precursor to the CIA - had a considerable number of contingency plans for using currency and leaflets printed like currency for propaganda purposes. One of the more interesting plans was a scheme to drop legitimate United States money and postage stamps on Germany with propaganda messages attached to them. The messages would attempt to undermine the confidence in the German economy by comparing contemporary events to the hyper-inflationary period after World War One. The plan was known as "Special Plan C-5 -- U.S. Postage Stamps and Coins." It called for the printeing of one million small envelopes with propaganda messages printed on them. Each envelope would contain a stamp, a coin , or a dollar bill. The envelopes would be addressed as "A Gift to the Finder from the German-Americans." The envelopes would initially be dropped over cities which had not been bombed. This was because the OSS believed that Germans in cities that had not been bombed would be more accepting of the messages than those in the bombed out cities who would be understandably unhappy with the Allies. The proposal called for the following items to be placed in the envelopes: $1.00 U.S. currency notes -- 10,000 10 cent silver coins -- 20,000 5 cent stamps -- 40,000 3 cent stamps -- 266,000 1 cent stamps -- 664,000 The amount of money and stamps totalled $26,520.00. The estimated cost of printing the envelopes was $25,000.00 for a total production cost of $51,520.00 The proposal suggests that the fact that all the envelopes contained some type of monetary instrument would be a strong incentive for the citizens to collect them. It goes on to make the following curious statement as well: "Even if they were afraid to offer and sell the stamps to dealers in stamps, they could be traded on the black market." The plan was developed at the end of June 1944. It is unclear what level of philatelic activity was going on in the Reich at this time. The OSS apparently thought it was significant enough to have an effect on the economy. The message on the initial drop was to read as follows: This one-cent stamp was worth 400,000,000 marks in 1923. Participation notes with a face value of one American cent actually circulated in Germany that year. American money came to your rescue. The message to accompany the $1.00 notes was the following: This banknote ($1.00) was worth 4,000,000,000,000 (vier billionen) marks in 1923. Then you had no gold, but your industry could produce and you were able to borrow from America the next year. You have no gold now and your industry is being destroyed. If you permit it to be completely destroyed, how can you ever borrow again? Here is another of the suggested messages: When you remember walls papered with German bank notes in 1923, you understand, do you not, why people who lived through the last inflation are now spending what money they have on the open market where they can buy something tangible before it is too late? The documents that were examined do not reveal whether this program was implemented. It would be interesting to find out whether it was carried out. Even more interesting would be to determine the serial number range of the 10,000 $1.00 notes that would have been used. While currency type leaflets are well known, how scarce would these notes be? ***************************************************** Championship Question Corner Question: What series of MPC were used exclusively in Vietnam. Questoin 150, difficulty 1. Yesterday's Question: What two (issued) miltary payment certificates are not known to exist in collections? Questoin 149, difficulty 2. Comments from the field: Bill Myers wrote: Series 481 and 651 $5 replacements are not reported in collections. ========================================== Editorial ========================================== It was a busy day at the ANA convention as it always is. The first big thing on the agenda was an open meeting of the board of governors where the report of the exhibits committee was presented by Wendell Wolka. I was most impressed by the number of member-exhibitors who attended the meeting. They reminded me of the folks to passionately defended the summer seminar a few weeks ago. No decisions were made. I am sure that we can expect more commentary from Joe on this. An informal surver of the exhibit area turned up a decided dearth of MPC and other military issues. There are a few exibits with some issues of interest, but not many. We need to work on this. ========================================= Mail Call =========================================== Dear Editor, Your comments about a discussion on ANA politics in the GRAM impressed me. You said: "I need more time to think about the role of the Gram in numismatic politics. Secondly, and sadly, I probably need some legal advice on such matters." Also, sadly, I agree with you. I am not a crusader or political activist, I'm just a numismatist with opinions. I love the ANA, and the hobby. I just want to preserve it. I am simply not happy with the current leadership of the ANA. There should be somewhere to voice these opinions. If not here - where? I do think that this relevant article in the Colorado Springs Gazzette is safe to publish in the GRAM: http://www.gazette.com/display.php?id=1320477&secid=1 David Klinger ========================================== Calendar =========================================== 2006 The London Paper Money Fair has moved to: Victory Services Club, 63 Seymour Street, off Edgware Road, Marble Arch London and the dates are: Nov 26. see: www.britishnotes.co.uk or www.londonpapermoneyfair.co.uk 16-20 August ANA convention, Denver (mini Fest at IBNS meeting?) September 14th-16th, Long Beach, mini fest to be annuonced The World Paper Money Fair, organised by the London chapter of the IBNS will be September 30/October 1 at the new venue: Hotel Russell, Russell Square, Bloomsbury, London.  see: www.ibnslondon.org.uk Oct/Nov Pcda St Louis 2007 MPCFest: TBA Memphis 21-23 June. ANA Summer semnar Session I: June 24-29, 2007* Session II: June 30-July 6, 2007 ANA Convention, Milwaukee. ========================================== for dealer Hot Contact list, ANA MPC museum holdings and other static information please click this link: http://www.papermoneyworld.net/Gramattichments.htm ========================================= POST / BASE EXCHANGE(PX/BX/NEX) Dump your dupes! Your classified advertisement for items for sale, purchase or trade will be run here for free. Send your ads to the gram. This service is for everyone, most humble dealer or most advanced collector. The point is to make the gram more interesting. In all cases confirm your order via email first. WANTED SECTION: Collectors may submit lists of items wanted for their collections for listing here. Dealers and collectors who have these items, are then encouraged to list them for sale in the above section as a reply. Wanted listings will run for a period of 1 month. ============================================= MPC Gram Staff: Publisher, editor: Fred Schwan fred@papermoneyworld.net; Subscription Manager:Doug Bell- doug@papermoneyworld.net Tuesday Columnist : JoeBoling- JoeBoling@aol.com Friday Columnist: Warner Talso: wtalso@aol.com Fest Auctioneer: Larry "Ski"Smulczenski - skitex@cox.net, Critic:Harold Kroll - HARBONS@aol.com Scholarship Coordinator: Marcus Turner- marucs@papermoneyworld.net; Webmaster and Technical Advisors:Doug Bell "Wiz" - doug@papermoneyworld.net Russ Walsh - russ.walsh@gte.net Fact Checker: Warner Talso -Calendar Coordinator: John and Nancy Wilson -The Boss: Judy Schwan MPC Gram is published by BNR Press and papermoneyworld.com as a free service to the community of military money collectors. Your suggestions, criticisms, complaints, editorial contributions, letters, and even praise are very welcome. 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