Status: U Return-Path: Received: from mail.papermoneyworld.net ([207.3.91.49]) by pickering.mail.mindspring.net (Earthlink Mail Service) with SMTP id tv8el5.fi7.37kbi14 for ; Thu, 15 Nov 2001 16:59:01 -0500 (EST) Subject: MPC GRAM Precedence: bulk Sender: mpcgram-owner@mail.papermoneyworld.net From: mpcgram-owner@mail.papermoneyworld.net (List Server) Date: Thu, 15 Nov 101 15:17:19 CDT Message-Id: <10111151517.AA1DD4BC77@mail.papermoneyworld.net> Reply-To: mpcgram@mail.papermoneyworld.net digest headerDate: Thu, 15 Nov 2001 10:22:13 -0800 (PST) From: MPCgram Subject: MPCGram 487 Reply-To: mpcgram@mail.papermoneyworld.net ============================================== MPC Gram ============================================== Covering the Entire World of Military Numismatics ---------------------------------------------- Series 003-Number 487 Thurski, November 15, 2001 More on Series 481 by Larry "Ski" Smulczenski Last week I wrote about how we discovered the four printings of MPC Series 481. Today, I'd like to follow up with some of the other facts and conclusions that came out of our research. Probably one of the first questions that we asked ourselves was "Why were their four printings of this particular series?" We must realize that Series 481 was first printed in 1948 during peacetime conditions. By the time the series was issued in 1951, the Korean War had started and escalated. This series was used in Korea, as well as Europe and the Pacific, just like the previous three series. It remained in use, like its predecessor Series 472 for almost three years, before being replaced on 25 May, 1954 by Series 521. If you analyze the total number of each denomination produced for Series 481, you will find that there was 2 to 3 times as many pieces of each denomination issued as for Series 472. Here you have two consecutive series that were used in the same countries and for roughly the same amount of time, but the second had 2 to 3 times as many notes issued than the first. Why? Remember that after WWII, troop strength decreased rapidly and stayed at a low until the Korean Conflict when it increased dramatically. So it is quite logical that when the first printing of Series 481 was produced in 1948 and placed in reserve, the quantities were based on peace time troop strength. The Comprehensive Catalog of Military Payment Certificates had listed Forbes Lithograph Corporation as the printer for Series 481. However, our trip to the government archives disclosed that Tudor Press had lithographed the first printing of Series 481 in June 1948, then shipped the entire sheets to the Bureau where they were numbered, separated and packaged. When it became evident that Series 481 was soon to be put into circulation, we believe that someone realized that the quantity of notes in storage was inadequate to support the large number of troops in Korea. In February 1951, only five months before Series 481 was issued to the field, the Bureau released a contract, this time to Forbes for a second printing of Series 481. You may ask why Forbes instead of Tudor? It could well be that Forbes could complete the entire task in-house instead of involving the Bureau which at that time may have been inundated with other work or it may have been that Tudor had "fallen out of grace" because of quality problems that they were having (but that's another story that Fred will relay as we get to Series 541). Anyway Forbes did indeed produce the second printing and we believe that the font in their numbering machine was just a little different and thus the lack of the serif on the "4". Two months after the conversion, it appears that supplies of notes were still not adequate, so the Bureau asked for a third printing of the series from Forbes. Again the company completed all the tasks and shipped the notes to the field. Finally, two years later, in July of 1953, another request was sent to Forbes for a fourth printing of Series 481 notes, this time only up through the $1 value. The quantities for some of the values, especially the 50c and $1 were very small. Series 481 was then replaced by Series 521 in May 1954. If you consider the lead time built in for ordering so that supplies do not run out, production time, shipping time, etc., these notes probably reached the field only six to eight months before changeover. Therefore if the military used FIFO (First In, First Out) the older notes were issued first and many of this new fourth printing probably sat in vaults and were never issued, only to be destroyed after changeover. Therefore, the fourth printing notes are quite scarce especially the 25c, 50c and $1. One other item of interest was that shortly after the third printing, Forbes requested a numbering machine from the Bureau which was provided. This numbering machine quite probably had the type font used by the Bureau to number the first printing notes produced by Tudor, and resulted in the serifed "4's" on the fourth printing of Series 481. ============================================== Editorial ---------------------------------------------- Well, it is now Thursday afternoon. I will not be going to St Louis for the Pcda show. We have had a few setbacks here at MPC headquarters. Every day I have been fighting the problems and hoped to make it to the show, but it is now obvious that I will not make it. Among other things, this means that we must rely on other Gramsters for show reports! Gramsters, send in those reports! ============================================== Mail Call ---------------------------------------------- Dear Editor -- Wonderful news, the gram has started to arrive. The last one I got was #426 until # 482 and #483 arrived this weekend. Re Ceylon notes. I sent you a letter a couple of years back withe info. It is probably buried in the garage by now. I'll duplicate in the next few days. Lets hope the gram keeps coming! Keep well Tom Dear Gram, For some reason the gram is coming through with an old 12/31 date placing it out of date sequence in my received e mail. What gives??? Larry Gibbs Dear Larry, I certainly do not have a clue about your problem. Possibly I do not even understand it. Hopefully Doug the Wiz can (understand and do something about it). Editor ================================================ 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, Marcus Turner, Fred Schwan {running total 23}] 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 manager: Ed Beaman webmaster & technical advisor: Doug Bell - (Wiz): doug@papermoneyworld.net; 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!? Find the one for you at Yahoo! Personals http://personals.yahoo.com