Status: U Return-Path: Received: from web12705.mail.yahoo.com ([216.136.173.242]) by pickering.mail.mindspring.net (Earthlink Mail Service) with SMTP id ttu876.fbb.37kbi14 for ; Tue, 30 Oct 2001 16:51:34 -0500 (EST) Message-ID: <20011030215133.51634.qmail@web12705.mail.yahoo.com> Received: from [152.163.206.208] by web12705.mail.yahoo.com via HTTP; Tue, 30 Oct 2001 13:51:33 PST Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2001 13:51:33 -0800 (PST) From: MPCgram Subject: MPCGram 472/3 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 472 Tuesday, October 30, 2001 472 Gram-472 Mystery Series by Harold"MPCKID"Kroll Series 472 was issued March 22, 1948 to replace Series 471 and used until June 20, 1951 when it was converted to Series 481. Printed by Tudor Press Inc. with a design that was still very mundane using a shield, fancy scrolling and artwork but at least it was a new design from Series 461 and 471 with only a different color change in the two issues. The total number of notes printed for this series was 36,736,000 with this being the first series to have a skip in the 25 cent serial numbering of 448,000 notes. A normal printing of the fractional issues consists of 8,000 sheets having 84 notes per sheet which translates to 672,000 notes per printing. This skip of 448,000 notes is more than a half printing of 4,000 sheets, which would be 336,000 notes, so why this somewhat odd number of skipped notes. This is another question to add to this already mysterious issue of notes and the finding of notes that for a long time was thought to have been destroyed. According to records obtained from the BEP, 3,808,000 total notes were destroyed from this issue, 1,448,000 for each the .05 and .10 cent, 440,000 for the .25 cent and 472,000 for the 50 cent note. It was thought for a very long time that the total printed for the 472/2 50 cent note had been destroyed as none had been found for this printing. The gram also had an article saying that it was suggesting the same thoughts that the second printing had probably been destroyed. The destruction records do not reference any serial number data so we have no clue as to which notes were destroyed. I kept this 50 cent note in my mind, not wanting to give up on being able to find this note someday. Some multi-printing collectors had scratched this note off their want lists after this gram came out, but I kept up the search still thinking, one day. The pursuit of this note finally became a realization in late 1999, a few months before MPC FEST II, "NEXTFEST 2000." There I was, sitting at the computer checking out the MPC lots on ebay. Have to mention that I'm also doing research on the highest serial numbers of notes reported and trying to complete a high serial number set so naturally I look at each and every one of the serial numbers on the notes. As I would look at each lot trying to find something of interest or on my want list there was a lot listed with 16 notes in it with all notes pictured in the scan with the backs of the notes included. It took a while for the whole scan to load on the screen. I scrolled down through the notes and did not see anything that caught my attention, clicked out and went on to the next lot of notes. About 2 lots later, something kept nagging me about that 16 piece lot of notes and it hit me, a 472 50 cent note with a serial number in the 4,000,000 range. It seemed like it took a week to get that lot reloaded on the screen again, as each note appeared and it got closer and closer to the 472 50 center the palms of my hands started to get moist. There it was, a 472/2 50 cent note, s/n 04035139, position # 1. The auction had 5 days to go before it ended and I was dying to tell someone about this find. I held out for 4 days but I was bursting at the seams trying to keep this to myself. On the fifth day I broke down and called a close friend and fellow collector of MPC, Phil Goldstein. When I informed him of this find he went ballistic and did not believe me at first. after a long discussion I gave him the item number and he looked at the lot, making a comment that he had started to pull up the lot but it took to long for the scan to load that he clicked out and went on to the next item. I'm not going to go into a lot of detail but Phil did refrain from bidding on the lot. We talked about this note at length and were concerned of how it looked in the scan but decided that the scans sometime distort the images a little and the note would have to be seen in hand. All that is history now and since then I have owned the second note to be found for this printing, s/n 04069881, position # 5, which by the way is the highest serial number reported to date. The 472/2 25 cent issue is also a harder note to find in higher grades, you will see quite a few notes in the VF and lower grades but XF and AU are fewer and UNCS are tough. The 472/2 1.00 note is not hard to locate in the lower grades but as with the 25 note, higher grade material in harder to find, again UNCS/CU grades are tougher. The 05 cent note being the easiest to find and the 10 cent note also easy except again in UNC/CU condition. The 472 5.00 and 10.00 notes did not have a second printing. The 5.00 note is harder to find than the 10.00 note as the 10.00 had almost 3 times the printing as the 5.00 note. The 5.00 is a scarcer note in any grade, especially higher grades and both UNCS/CU notes are tough notes to locate. This has been and always will be an interesting series to watch and study, it took 50 years to find the first 472/2 50 cent note, what else might we find with this and the other series in the future. Another WWII collectible by Joe Boling US Rifle, Caliber .30, M1--the Garand rifle. Hundreds of thousands (perhaps millions) were manufactured by a variety of firms, many not originally arms manufacturers (such as Remington Rand and Smith Corona, both famous for typewriters in other times). After the war, large numbers of surplus rifles and service pistols were sold to sportsmen through the National Board for the Promotion of Rifle Practice. The pistol program ended long ago, but would you believe that there are still rifles available? I received one last week. The 17 September 2001 issue of Army Times contained a full-page advertisement for M1 rifles. More than the rifles, I was attracted to the address of the office offering them--in Port Clinton, Ohio (undoubtedly someplace on Camp Perry, an Ohio National Guard installation near Port Clinton that is the annual site of the National Matches). The ad contained a web site URL (www.civilianmarksmanshipprogram.com), which I tried to access. The first night I tried, it would not load; a few days later I tried again and succeeded in reaching it. During the last 30+ years, one of the requirements that a prospective buyer of an M1 had to meet was to have a current competitive classification in high-power rifle. One had to be an active shooter. I discovered when I downloaded the current M1 application that that requirement has been changed. Now one only has to be able to demonstrate having received marksmanship training. This is accomplished by submitting evidence that one holds a distinguished rifle or pistol badge (quite difficult to earn); has a current high power rifle classification (the old requirement); OR IS A VETERAN. Being a veteran is prima facie evidence of marksmanship training. In addition, one must be a US citizen and belong to a shooting club that is affiliated with the DCM (Director of Civilian Marksmanship). The NRA is not such a club, but most state shooting associations, and many local ones, are. In my case, I belong to the Washington State Rifle and Pistol Association, a DCM-affiliated club. So, I sent in copies of my passport, my retired ID card, and by WSR&PA membership card, along with an affidavit (downloadable from the web site) that I am not disqualified from owning a firearm under the Gun Control Act of 1968 or the more recent "Lautenberg Amendment." A credit card authorization for $500 (plus $19 shipping) led to the delivery of my rifle four weeks after my application. It came by overnight signature-required Federal Express, not from Port Clinton, but from Bynum, Alabama (Harold, what's there?). My rifle is a Springfield Armory product. It arrived with a sling and a cartridge clip (both unexpected), a commercially-prepared service manual, and applications for joining the Garand Collectors Association. It is "service grade," meaning that it has been fired extensively during its life, that there is no guarantee that any of the parts are original, and that it is not "tuned" for competition. However, it appears to be completely serviceable, and is a thrill to me every time I handle it. One can also order a "Danish issue" rifle, an M1 that was transferred to Denmark, used there for years, and then returned to the US. These can have parts that did not originate in US plants, and they cost only $400. My first service rifle qualifications were made with an M1. I'll probably not fire more than a dozen rounds through my new rifle as long as I own it, but I'm sure proud to have it. Any of the rest of you interested? Next week I will return to the Bradbury-signed emergency WWI notes that I introduced last week. I will be attending the IBNS paper money fair in Melbourne Australia 10-11 November (the last of the IBNS 40th anniversary celebrations--I believe I am the only non-dealer officer who will attend all three of them). My column for 12 November may be delayed unless I am able to file it from Melbourne. Editor's comments. Joe, we will be very excited to publish your reports from Melbourne. The Gram provided the most timely information on the first two IBNS celebrations and look forward to doing the same thing for Melbourne. Possibly some readers did not make the connection on the above story about the M-1 rifle. We do not run many stories without a numismatic connection. In this case the connection is interesting if obscure. As indicated by Joe, the Directorate of Civilian Marksmanship is now headquartered at Camp Perry, Ohio. Camp Perry is famous world wide at the home of the national rifle and pistol championships. I met an English collector at the London IBNS event who is a competitive marksman. His eyes sparkled instantly when I mentioned Camp Perry. Several collectors who are also marksmen have visited Gram headquarters while visiting Camp Perry because Camp Perry is four miles from Port Clinton! The most important of these meetings was between Joe and me. Some of our earliest meetings were when Joe came here to shoot. We worked on World War II books and other things while he visited Camp Perry. Amazingly, there is another connection. A small quantity of WWII M-1 carbines was manufactured in Port Clinton by Standard Products Corporation. Finally, Camp Perry is a missing link in WWII numismatic history. Camp Perry had a POW camp, but no chits are known from the camp. They may have used generic chits at the camp or may have had chits that remain to be found. I want one!] ============================================== Editorial ---------------------------------------------- We did not make it too far from Cherbourg on our first day out (Monday). We stopped for the evening in a quaint little but famous village--St. Mere-Eglise. One of the drop zones for the US 82nd Airborne Division on 5/6 June 1944 was near St. Mere-Eglise. As it happened most of the troops landed in (on) the village. The most famous of these troops was John Stelle who landed ON the church in the village square. He was suspended from the steeple! Today, a dummy hangs from the steeple by a parachute. Larry and I stayed in the John Stelle Hotel! Stelle survived the war and is the hero of the area, but he is only a symbol of for the entire division. I belive that St. Mere-Eglise must have the highest density of militaria shops of anywhere in the world. There are at least three such full time shops in the town. Adjacent to the village square is the airborne museum. We could not visit until Tuesday morning, but it was certainly worth the wait. The roof of the main building is in the likeness of a parachute. The major outbuilding houses a very nice CH-47/DC-3 aircraft. This is the type aircraft used to drop the paratroopers and tow gliders. Indeed this particular plane actually did drop paratroopers on D-Day. This was nice, but this is not a rare aircraft so not such a big deal. That (the big deal) was reserved for the next (main) building. The central item of this building is a Waco glider! Wow, now that is a rare aircraft and inspiring item. There was not a lot of numismatic material in the museum, but still it was important. There is an array of commemorative medals that are worthy of study, but if I am going to do that, it will have to be another time. A movie on D-Day reenact ed a soldier getting ready to go on the mission. When he packed his AM francs he called them Paris money. I had never heard this, but I liked it. AM francs were on display in the museum as they were in the many other museums that we visited. I carefully studied every piece that I could see in the hope of finding a replacement or something significant, but did not. There was one item along this line that I thought was interesting and important. It was an AM franc note autographed as a short snorter and dated June 5, 1944. Wow, June 5, the day before D-Day. Of course the airborne soldiers had to be issued their francs before the 6th because they were more than a little busy from before midnight. This piece really moved me. ============================================== Mail Call ---------------------------------------------- Dear Gram, The bad news is that Bill Yanchick's MPC exhibit at the recent PAN show didn't even score in the running!!! He and I both agree, it was the good ol' boys who did the judging and the winning. In any case, Bill's exhibit was interesting It included FT Harrison training notes and some other MPC ephemera. Altho too bad about the award, the exhibit was a really good numismatic educational display and we would all hope that it attracted some interest. Len ================================================ Departments ------------------------------------------------- Calendar of events for Gramsters maintained by Howard Daniel, Nancy and John Wilson and Gram staff, last updated September 7, 2001 show reports are requested on all events. Even if it was not a great show, there must be something to report. What and whom did you see? Market activity? Share your observations and thoughts with Gramsters everywhere. ---------------------------------------------------- Special "MPC" events March 2002 8-10 - MPCFest III - reservations in order received: Guido Crapanzano, Harold Kroll, Larry Smulczenski, Gary "Got any fours" Hicks, Tom Warburton, David Seelye, Jack Lippincot, Phil Goldstein, Warner Talso, Nick Schrier, Richard Freyser, Tom Koch, Mark Watson, Bill Yanchick, Doug Bell, Sam Feeback, Bruce Potter, Elmer Smith, Marv Mericle, Wes and Rod Hardy, Fred Schwan {running total 22}] W.W.II numismatics seminar at ANA Summer Seminar, July 2002 Session I (Sunday, June 30 through Thursday, July 4, 2002) Session II (Sunday, July 7 through Thursday, July 11, 2002) general events will return soon --------------------------------------------------- Donations are now being accepted for scholarships to the 2002 "Military Money" course at the 2002 ANA Summer Seminar. Inquiries and donations should be sent to: Military Numismatists c/o Marcus Turner 8103 East US Highway 36 Suite 163 Avon, IN 46123 Donors to 2002 Scholarship Fund Steve Feller Harold Kroll R. A. Medina Guido Crapanzano David Seelye Leo May Warner Talso Marv Mericle Mark Watson Gail Baker ==================================================== 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: 481 replacement 10C third print, serial number D01656387 in VF condition. Price is $450 shipping included. The note can be seen at http://trunghanhnguyen.tripod.com/481r, please confirm "Trung Nguyen"