Status: U Return-Path: Received: from web12702.mail.yahoo.com ([216.136.173.239]) by walker.mail.mindspring.net (Earthlink Mail Service) with SMTP id tukuv3.3omf.37kbi73 for ; Thu, 8 Nov 2001 07:34:43 -0500 (EST) Message-ID: <20011108123441.87233.qmail@web12702.mail.yahoo.com> Received: from [205.188.199.53] by web12702.mail.yahoo.com via HTTP; Thu, 08 Nov 2001 04:34:41 PST Date: Thu, 8 Nov 2001 04:34:41 -0800 (PST) From: MPCgram Subject: MPCGram 481/3 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 481 Thurski, November 8, 2001 Gram/Series 481 by Larry "Ski" Smulczenski Series 481 was the first series of MPC to incorporate attractive vignettes as part of the design. The vignette of Commerce engraved by Marcus Baldwin appears on the right hand side of the face of the fractional notes and the vignette of Mechanics taken from the back of the $50 third charter national bank note appears on the face of the $5 and $10 notes. The $1 note portrays the same vignette previously used by the Bureau on a number of Treasury bills. This is the series that also promoted an investigation that uncovered the multiple printings that were produced on this series and some of the other MPC series. The story has been told many times, but is worth repeating for those of you that have not heard it. It was a nice mid-January evening in South Florida, when Fred Schwan, Larry Falater, and I sat with Leo May in his home looking at his MPC collection and other military notes. We had just been to the FUN Show in Orlando and had decided to tour the Florida Keys before the guys from up north went home to the winter snows. We were oh-h-hing and awh-h-hing at the MPC, some of which will be in the Chicago Lyn Knight Sale in February, when Fred shouts: "Hey Leo, I'm impressed. Your collecting the series 481 notes with and without a serif on the "4" in the position number!" I had considered myself quite knowledgeable on the subject of MPC as I had been collecting them for almost 30 years at that time and I have to admit that I was ashamed to let them know I didn't know what they were talking about. When I asked, all I got was a smile from Fred and the familiar line--"Read the book." He finally pointed out that there were two distinct fonts used for the position numbers which included a "4," one with a serif (foot) the other without. I remembered that Fred had pointed out a skip in the serial numbers for all values except the $10.00 series 481 notes, but had flat missed the serifed and unserifed "4's." And it was in the book, but many of us overlooked it. As we drove to the Keys and back, we verbally attacked the 481 skip and those funny "4's". The question was posed whether there were possibly two printings? I challenged myself to look further into this little mystery and started to record the serial number and position number for every 481 note with a "4" in the position number that I came across. I spent hours looking thru dealers stock at various coin and paper money shows. When my project became known, other collectors sent me additional data. It soon became evident, that the footed "4" appeared on the lower number notes, before the skip and the "4" without was on the higher serial numbered notes, after the skip. In addition, the $1 position number switched from the right side to the left side of the note at that published skip. This had been pointed out by Neil Shafer long before the differences in the "4's." It definitely looked like we had two printings, BUT some anomalies started to show up in the data. A few very high numbers began to appear with the serifed "4." Could there possible be three printings? One day a letter arrived with a photo copy of a $1 note with a high serial number and a "4" in the position number plus that position number back on the right side. I was flabbergasted and couldn't wait to call Fred. To me this was evidence that we had three printings for the 481 series. I went along gathering my data and everything fell right in line. That is, until the Fall of 1998, when Fred and I had a chance to go to a government archives in Washington D.C. We were fortunate to find Purchase Orders and various correspondence relating to the various MPC series. The P.O.'s had the serial numbers for the various printings and they agreed with the numbers that were beginning to appear as end points for my data. THAT IS, except that the correspondence defined four printings instead of the three that we had uncovered. The second and third printing were identical and only identifiable by serial numbers or at least that is what we thought. We went home overjoyed as we had the starting and ending serial numbers for all the values for the Series 481 and they were confirmed by Bureau records. This still left the problem of identifying a note as to 2nd or 3rd printing by anything other than serial number. Fred answered this question about two weeks after our trip. "Have you looked at your notes under UV light?" he asked excitedly on the phone. I had to admit that I had not. Under UV light, the serial number on the second printings is unaffected, but the third printings numbers all glow orange-brown. We now knew that the first printing had low serial numbers with a serif on the "4" in the position number, the second printing was without serif on the position number "4" and unaffected by UV light, the third printing was also without serif on the position number "4" but the serial number fluoresced under UV light and finally the fourth printing had high serial numbers with a serifed "4" in the position number. There is more to this story, but I'll save that until next week. This was published in Bank Note Reporter in the May 1999 issue. If you don't have a copy, and want to read more, send me an email to skifla@prodigy.net with your name and address and I'll mail you a copy. Buena Park (California) Show Report by Mark Watson On Saturday, 27 October 2001, I attended the Buena Park Coin Show. I only saw a couple of pieces of MPC (only one dealer who was strictly paper money in attendance). I ended up buying some pieces of JIM, a series I don't really collect but which I'm getting quite a collection of. On the plus side though, there was a representative from Lyn Knight's auctions and I was able to pick up a flyer for the March auction with the Leo May collection. I have an extra one if anyone is interested in getting it. ============================================== Editorial ---------------------------------------------- All editorial material submitted to the Gram is subject to editing before publication. Mostly we correct some spelling (if we can find it, we are not good at THAT). Occasionally we clarify a point or take out some libelous material. We also change terminology although occasionally a bad word slips through. Scrip for script, face for obverse and back for reverse (for notes as opposed to coins) and a few others. In many ways it is this editing that makes the Gram a newsletter instead of bulletin board. Of course it is possible that we will make mistakes. These are the best of times because the original author, readers, author's mother, and anyone else can then take us on in a letter or followup article. Gene Hessler described the case where a well intentioned but ill informed editor of a publication dutifully changed face and back to obverse and reverse throughout the article in question. We will take up the matter of the specific terminology in a future Gram. Today will be part two of the automation test. You should receive two copies of the Gram. One was sent by the old method before 8am Eastern time. The other was sent via the new/automated method at about 4pm Eastern. Unfortunately, we think that you will be able to easily tell the difference just by looking at them, but that is part of the purpose for the test. ============================================== Mail Call ---------------------------------------------- Dear Gram, The MIME format does not work well for me -- but I can manage if it's better for everyone else. Gail Baker Sorry Doug, Unreadable...only received a bunch of code. Better luck next try! Ort Dear Doug, got this, thanks. would appreciate just being sent text if possible, like the regular gram, as this was in both text and html. when html is sent with text, it takes up 3 times as much space. m ades Dear Doug, Received your test mailing. I hope the content was for the computer and not us human readers. The content looks worse than the headers I remember when I was active with Uncle Sam's Misguided Children (USMC) Dave B. ================================================ 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 Spectacular Nazi anti English-American handbill featuring a color illustration of a 5 franc AMC note (face and back). This is SB 161 as illustrated on page 280 of WWII Remembered. In addition to other amazing and wonderful things, somehow the Nazis knew about the Forbes mark on the notes and removed it from the version on this leaflet! AU if there is such a thing as a grade for leaflets like this: $295. Confirm with fredschwan@yahoo.com. All types of payment accepted, paypal preferred using the above email address. Germany 1 pfennig to 2 Marks Army issues page 479 SB 142-147 EF-UNC $85.00 postpaid insured for domestic delivery. 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 - MPCGram@Yahoo.com; assistant editor - Phil Goldstein IWANTMYMPC@aol.com distribution manager - Brad Peacock bp22@swbell.net Tuesday columnist Joe Boling – JoeBoling@aol.com Thurski columnist Larry “Ski” Smulczenski –skifla@prodigy.net critic: Harold Kroll - MPCKid@AOL.com; index ===== 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!? Find a job, post your resume. http://careers.yahoo.com