Status: U Return-Path: Received: from web5204.mail.yahoo.com ([216.115.106.85]) by runyon.mail.mindspring.net (Earthlink Mail Service) with SMTP id tjdfp1.d70.37kbi7f for ; Mon, 25 Jun 2001 00:33:36 -0400 (EDT) Message-ID: <20010625043335.12970.qmail@web5204.mail.yahoo.com> Received: from [205.188.199.184] by web5204.mail.yahoo.com; Sun, 24 Jun 2001 21:33:35 PDT Date: Sun, 24 Jun 2001 21:33:35 -0700 (PDT) From: MPCgram Subject: MPCGram 374 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 374 Sunday, June 24, 2001 My First MPC or How Did I Start Collecting “This Stuff?” by John J. Watta For me one of the enjoyable things about belonging to the Waukesha Coin Club is talking to fellow members about how they started their collections and what their “first finds” were. Recently a newer member asked me how I started collecting MPC, which was unknown to him until I brought some to show at a meeting. As I told my story about “discovering” MPC I thought Gramers might relate to my experience. One rainy day about 1960 I was walking from school to my job at the Ash Shoe Store in Indiana, Pennsylvania (hometown to Jimmy Stewart) when I saw something on the sidewalk. It was a piece of wet and dirty paper that had been folded and everyone was walking by this piece of trash. For some reason I looked a bit closer and saw it was “unusual.” I picked it up and saw that it had “Five Cents” printed on it. Being a new coin collector (since 1957) I decided that this needed further investigation and carried it to the store. Once at work I rinsed it off and then patted it dry with a paper towel and could read, “Military Payment Certificate, Series 541, Five Cents.” I took the bill to the storeownr’s two sons who had been in the military and asked them if they knew what this was. Both told me they had never seen anything like this while they were in the service. After work I carried the note home and presented it to the “ultimate authority,” my father, an Army veteran and high school teacher. He carefully examined the note and told me he didn’t have a clue! I took the note to school the following day and showed it my fellow coin collecting students and some teachers that I knew had been in the service. No one had seen a Military Payment Certificate before or knew what it used for. After this I put it in an envelope and put it away with my other items that I was “collecting.” Six years later in (December 1966) I was a brand new Army second lieutenant arriving in Seoul, Korea for a 13-month tour with the 2d Infantry Division. Before we were permitted to leave the plane we were required to fill out cards declaring how much currency (bills and coins)we had in our possession. One of the first things that happened after deplaning was to exchange our currency for MPC. Now I finally knew what MPC was used for! During my 13 months in Korea I saved a set consisting of the 5, 10, 25, 50 cent and $1 Series 611 notes. Since I was a “coin collector” I wasn’t about to “waste my money” by saving a $5 or $10 note. In 1968 my brother in-law was stationed in Vietnam, and I had him send me a set of Vietnam coins, and the 5, 10, 25, 50 cent and $1 Series 641 notes. I put my MPC in an envelope and considered them an oddity to share with my friends. I was in the 2d S&T Battalion, 2d Infantry Division for the 13 months I was in Korea. Being up by the DMZ it was a rare occasion that we saw a “round eye woman.” Being in a camp surrounded by barbed wire, and the only women around being Korean bar girls, left plenty of time for the troops to talk about women. I remember several occasions when the topic of discussion was, “Who are the women on the MPC?” The general consensus among the troops was that they were “the general’s daughters and/or wife.” Also, MPC was accepted by the vast majority of the Korean shopkeepers and bars. I remember that for my birthday my parents sent me a nice crisp $10 bill. I violated all the regulations and didn’t convert it to MPC. During one of my rare visits south to Seoul I went shopping and bought my fiancée a pair of errings. After bargaining the price as low as possible, I paid for them with the $10 bill, some MPC and some Won. All were gladly accepted, especially the $10 bill. Finally in late 1987 I saw a small article in Numismatic News about a book titled, Military Payment Certificates by Fred Schwan. I quickly ordered a copy and began to learn about MPC. I have managed to assemble a collection which lacks 10 notes from being complete (of the standard 90 note collection). Of course I kick myself on a regular basis because two of the 10 notes that I need are the $5 and $10 Series 611 bills that I could have had for face value. I am still primarily a coin collector and love the MPCGram. But, I sure would like to have some articles about what replacement notes are all about and how do you identify them? What are the different printings and how are they identified? What are the different plate positions and how are they identified? I read the Gram every day and am lost with most of the “technical talk.” I feel like a soldier that was immediately sent to AIT and never attended Basic Training…… lost. =============================================== Editorial ---------------------------------------------------- We have not had any of the "how I got started in MPC" stories recently. I love em! There are even more ways to get started in MPC collecting than there are to collect the stuff and we have been deomonstrating lately that there are MANY ways to do that. We certainly welcome more of these personal stories for the Gram! =========================================== Mail Call ----------------------------------------------- Dear Gram, The repaorted numer range of MPC FEST II series 011 1st printing was reported as 118 pieces for the $2.00, serial numers F00000001F to F00000118F. The second printing was reported to start at serial number F00000200F.Why do I have a series 011 $2.00 with F00000119F? David Dear David, Interesting discovery. Guess this is why we have collectors! Editor A few weeks ago I asked about Azad Hind currency. I am happy to say that two readers of the MPCgram were kind enough to write to me with information. That article is currently in the computer with 2100 words ready to be published, and just awaiting a few more illustrations. I have about three leads, and if they come through with some additional photographs the story will be sent to the IBNS Journal. Today I ask about an entirely different subject. The fact that the US parodied North Korean 100 won notes is well known. I wrote about them years ago in the IBNS Journal. I have also mentioned that we dropped 1 won notes with propaganda messages during the Cold War years. But, I was not aware that we counterfeited North Korean money. I have seendocuments on the subject and talked to an individual who actually handed the notes out to the agents. I suppose this is mostly to Howard Daniel who specializes in the area, but I would like to hear from anyone who can shed more light on this operation. Herb ================================================ 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, Howard Daniel, 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! New discovery found in Memphis! Unlisted in Schwan/Boling! German Occupied Poland, 1 Punkt (Point) ration note for Vodka. http://www.papermoneyworld.com/mat/vodka.jpg $15 postage paid. Payment is by cash, personal check or paypal (until I reach my monthly receiving limit). Please reserve by e-mail at marcus@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 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 http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/