Status: U Return-Path: Received: from web5202.mail.yahoo.com ([216.115.106.170]) by strange.mail.mindspring.net (Earthlink Mail Service) with SMTP id ti39ku.bdo.37kbi0u for ; Sat, 9 Jun 2001 00:31:26 -0400 (EDT) Message-ID: <20010609043125.9716.qmail@web5202.mail.yahoo.com> Received: from [172.135.83.45] by web5202.mail.yahoo.com; Fri, 08 Jun 2001 21:31:25 PDT Date: Fri, 8 Jun 2001 21:31:25 -0700 (PDT) From: MPCgram Subject: MPCGram 359 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 359 June 8, 2001 Series 541 debacle By Fred Schwan Series 541 MPC is notable for many things, beauty, rarity, but most of all craziness. The most obvious “problem” is the crazy serial numbers that are well know for the replacement. Many of these exceed the total issued for denomination! Other collectors and I have spent countless hours trying to make sense of this situation, but without success. Documents uncovered at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing now explain why we could not make sense of the situation. There is none (sense). The letter below introduces the problem. 4 August 1958 Hr. H. J. Holtzclaw, Director Bureau of Engraving and Printing Treasury Department Washington 25, D.C. Dear Mr. Holtzclaw: As you are possibly aware, the Department of the Army is currently planning on placing an order with the Bureau of Engraving and Printing for the printing of a reserve series of Military Payment Certificates. The most recent series printed, Series 541, which has just been issued, included numerous deficiencies in quality and in numbering. In view of this unfortunate experience, I wish to express my concern that the quality of printing of the next reserve series be at least equal in quality to that of Military Payment Certificates printed prior to the 541 Series. In this respect, I particularly mindful of the quality deficiencies reported by the United States forces in oversea areas during the conversion to the 541 Series in May and the concerns of the commands that the poor quality of the 541 Series Mi1itary Payment Certificates would encourage counterfeiting and., in consequence, result in possible loss to the United States Government. In voicing this concern, I wish to make clear that the above comments are not to be construed as critical of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing concerning it procurement of the 541 Series Mi1itary Payment Certificate printing. From information available, I have been assured that the placing of the printing contract with Tudor Press, Inc., was accomplished with the usual care exercised by the Bureau and that the deficiencies in the quality of workmanship which became apparent on the conversion of the Military Payment Certificate system to the 541 Series on 27 May 1958 could not have been prevented without time-consuming and costly inspection of the Tudor printing operation. Sincerely yours, WM. S. LAWTON Lieut. General, GS Comptroller of the Army The poor quality at Tudor can be seen in other ways too. If you examine your 541 notes carefully, you are likely to find minor alignment problems in the serial numbers and other minor quality control problems. Mostly they are minor, but now that we know about the overall problem, they are much more noticeable. Other documents at the BEP clearly define the problems at Tudor in producing Series 541. This is not a satisfying solution to the strange numbers for Series 541, but it does explain them and there is not likely to ever be a better explanation. =============================================== Editorial ---------------------------------------------------- I am sure that you will be amazed that I am somewhat at a loss for words, but it is true. At hour that this “late gram” is being prepared, I have to hold off starting a discussion or I will never get this gram delivered! Have a nice weekend and please take a little time to drop a line to the gram. All comments, complaints, suggestions, and questions, especially questions, are greatly appreciated! =========================================== Mail Call ---------------------------------------------------- Dear Gram, Many Thanks for your efforts with the MPCGRAM, I really enjoy the information and exchange that always makes for a good read. Gosh, after all these years I find that you can teach an old dog new tricks, as we're all capable of learning something new every day, a bonus is getting more knowledge about paper money. Enough! I would like to report the following note: M76 10 Cents, Series 681, Serial # C 00073309 Pos. 10 Condition is vg-f and I'm delighted to have found it. All for now, again, thanks for your work and efforts towards making our hobby our passion with paper money!! Best Regards, Bob Sullivan Dear Editor, About ANA exhibiting. ANA exhibit applications can also be emailed to Colorado Springs, though it really screws up the formatting of the application. It has been done and accepted. The email address is anacvn@money.org. Attention Rachel Irish. The distribution rule you mentioned is 65%--if 65% of all the numismatic items in an exhibit fall within a single class, the exhibit can be shown in that class. In a literature exhibit, it would not take many MPC to go over 35% when counted against books. "Western Amricana--All numismatic material issued or used in areas of the United States west of the Mississippi River (excluding Alaska, Hawaii, and Pacific territories)." I know, excluding Alaska seems dumb, but I didn't write it. Excluding Hawaii and oceania makes sense to me. Joe Boling, ANA chief judge Dear Joe, Thanks for the clarifications and amplifications. I look forward to debate the distribution rule in the literature category. Is a specimen booklet of seven notes one or seven (or eight—the covers) when counted against a reference book? It an unbound proof of 300 pages one item or 300? When the actual notes used for illustrations in the proof book are displayed with the corresponding illustration in the book would have to be counted a 1:1. It should be fun! Editor ================================================ 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. David Amey, Mr. Anonymous Donor, Mike Cummings, Sue and Keith Bauman, Ed B., Doug Bell, Tom Denly, Continental Coin Invensor, Inc., Denly's, R. A. Medina, Harold “MPCKid” Kroll, Leo "Paymaster" May, Mrs. R.C. Matherne, Bill McNease, Marv Mericle, 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 Your items for sale will be listed in the Gram for FREE. Send your listings now. You items for sale support the gram by making it more interesting for everyone! For sale; Japan "A" 10 yen GEM UNC US$250.00 postpaid insured coinman@rochester.rr.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 or 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 Tuesday columnist Joe Boling – JoeBoling@aol.com Thurski columnist Larry “Ski” Smulczenski – ski@papermoneyworld.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!? Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail - only $35 a year! http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/