Status: U Return-Path: Received: from web5205.mail.yahoo.com ([216.115.106.86]) by tyner.mail.mindspring.net (Earthlink Mail Service) with SMTP id te473e.5eq.37kbi5q for ; Sat, 21 Apr 2001 19:49:02 -0400 (EDT) Message-ID: <20010421234900.22978.qmail@web5205.mail.yahoo.com> Received: from [205.188.195.48] by web5205.mail.yahoo.com; Sat, 21 Apr 2001 16:49:00 PDT Date: Sat, 21 Apr 2001 16:49:00 -0700 (PDT) From: MPCgram Subject: MPCGram 317 To: mpcgram@yahoo.com MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii ==================================================== MPC Gram ==================================================== Covering the Entire World of Military Numismatics ---------------------------------------------------- Series 002-Number 317 Saturday, April 21, 2001 Authentic South Viet Nam POW Camp Overstamps By Howard A. Daniel III Very few numismatists know there are authentic overstamps on some Republic of Viet Nam notes for use in camps for communist military and political personnel detained in South Viet Nam. They are not listed in Pick, but they are in my "Republic of Viet Nam Coins and Currency" book. This book is out of print, but it is possible to find one or two for sale in a year. So I decided to write this short article about them because you might not have my book in your library. After the French Indochina War was over, Viet Nam was divided in half by a conference of the Indochina area combatants and non-combatants and their allies. It created a communist North, and the new Republic of Viet Nam in the South that started a campaign to identify and arrest all communists and their sympathizers. This was against the conference rules, but its new president, Diem, ignored everyone's complaints. Many non-communists were also arrested because their personal enemies wanted to take revenge against them for various reasons. A tragic consequence was that most of the wrongly arrested, were converted to the communist cause by their hardcore communist cellmates. This new hardcore of communists became the cadre of the National Liberation Front (commonly called the Viet Cong or VC), and who became a very formidable enemy to the new country's government. The camps holding the communists, their sympathizers, and the wrongly accused were scattered all over the country, but most prisoners were detained in camps in or near Gia Dinh province that surrounded Saigon. Tens of thousands of prisoners were in the camps at any one time. As military personnel were identified, they were generally separated from the other prisoners. According one reference, the POWs were given work for which they were paid in accordance with the Geneva Conventions. The POWs were paid with low denomination notes with various overstamps. All of the known overstamped notes are low denominations and from the first two series issued from 1955 to the early 1960's. This is consistent with what the POWs could earn, and the overstamped notes are from the right period of time. I have yet to discover an original document authorizing the overstamps, but the circumstantial evidence and other sources have produced enough to confirm their authenticity and use. The first notes issued in the new Republic of Viet Nam are identified in my book as Series 1955A. The low denominations; 1, 2, 5 and 10 Dong, are Daniel-1, 2, 3 and 4, and Pick 11, 12, 13 and 5 respectively. The second series in my book is identified as Series 1955B. Only its 1 and 5 Dong are known with these overstamps. They are cataloged as Daniel-10 and 11, and Pick-1 and 2 respectively. Both of these series were issued at almost the same time, and are separated into series by design and other factors. The known overstamps are "Phieu Tu Binh/Chi-Nhanh Saigon/Viet-Nam Cong-Hoa" in three lines; "Phieu Tu Binh" in one line; "Tu Binh" in one line; and "Tu Binh/Saigon" in two lines. As you know, overstamps can and are faked, so it is very important to know the source and pedigree of the pieces you purchase. According to my records, there are ten to fifty existing of any one overstamped note. I valued the uncirculated pieces in my book from US$75.00 to175.00, but with hundreds more collectors searching for them in today's marketplace, the current values should be about $250.00 each. If any of you find one or more of these piece for sale or in a collection, please make and send photocopies to me. I will reply with my opinion as to its authenticity, and as important, add their existence to my database. I am still searching for the original civil and/or military document(s) authorizing POW pay and/or overstamps of their legal tender notes. If you find any mention of these pieces anywhere, please tell me about it, and, if possible, please make a photocopy of the relevant pages. If you want to contact me about these pieces, please send an email to howard@seasiantreasury.com . You can also send a letter and/or photocopies to me at P.O. Box 989, Deltaville, VA 23043-0989, or fax me at 413-826-3087 (which converts to an email). ==================================================== Editorial ---------------------------------------------------- I had hoped to have an answer from the [hard drive] hospital by now, but alas, I get the ‘ol the tests are not back from the lab sort of answer. No as with all such medical emergencies, I have to wait [worry] the entire weekend. Drat. =================================================== Mail Call Dear Gram, Reference archival materials. I just received a catalog from Metal Edge, Inc (metaledge.com) They may have what you are looking for. Give a try 1-800-862-2228 and ask for a catalog. (I use them for book binding supplies) Len =================================================== Departments --------------------------------------------------- WWII numismatics seminar at ANA Summer Seminar 2001 --------------------------------------------------- Not only does the scholarship fund have an official identity but also has a bank account! Any further donations should be paid to the order of "Military Numismatists Scholarship" and sent to: Military Numismatists c/o Marcus Turner 8103 East US Highway 36 Suite 163 Avon, IN 46123 THE UPDATED LIST OF SCHOLARSHIP BENEFACTORS 3/22/01. These folks have generously provided money or material to finance scholarships to the ANA WWII Numismatics seminar. Your contributions will help promote collecting WWII material and be greatly appreciated. Many donations were received at CPMX and MPCFest. Mr. Anonymous Donor, Mike Cummings, Sue and Keith Bauman, Ed B., Doug Bell, Tom Denly, Denly's, R. A. Medina, Harold “MPCKid” Kroll, Leo "Paymaster" May, Mrs. R.C. Matherne, Bill McNease, Mel and Jeremy Steinberg, Marcus Turner, Larry Ski, Guido, Fred, PK6, Joel Shafer, World Wide Ventures, Pam West, John and Nancy Wilson, Neil Shafer, W. E. Yanchick, Mark Watson, Al Glaser, Phil Goldstein, Rod Hardy, Wesley Hardy, Gary Hicks, Jack Lippincott, Ian Marshall, Kevin Maloy, David Seelye, Nick Schrier, Elmer Smith, Dan Swartz, Tom Warburton, Dick Freyser, Tim Kyzivat ==================================================== Post/Base Exchange (PX/BX/NEX) Dump your dupes! Your classified advertisement for items for sale 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. Send in a list of items for sale and we will list them here in the gram. In all cases confirm your order via email first. FOR SALE For Sale: One Pound Australian Currency, Fanning Island Plantations, LTD (SB#1541 pg 216). This is the whole note! VF Condition. Satisfaction guaranteed. Scan available upon request. $450. Contact marcus@papermoneyworld.com. For Sale: British Military Authority X Notes, (BMA). Used for the invasion of Tripolitania and Sicily in 1943, and put in use 1944 in Greece at the request of the Greek government. S/B303b, 2/6 VF @ $150.00 and S/B304b 5/- VF @ $175.00. or the pair @ $300.00. Note that these are the rare code letter X notes. It is likely that this letter was used exclusively in Yugoslavia. Contact Mpckid@papermoneyworld.com WANTED 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. This is a trial, if you like it, send your list. =================================================== Staff: publisher and editor: Fred Schwan - fred@papermoneyworld.com; assistant editor - Phil Goldstein IWANTMYMPC@aol.com critic: Harold Kroll - MPCKid@papermoneyworld.com; index manager: Ed Beaman webmaster & technical advisor: Doug Bell - (Wiz): doug@papermoneyworld.com; 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. The entire contents including linked illustrations are copyright protected by the publishers. In the case of contributors, the copyright is protected on behalf of the creators. Please send all correspondence regarding the gram to MPCgram@yahoo.com. Thank you very much for your participation. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? 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