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MPC Gram
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Covering the entire World of Military Numismatics
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Series 003-Number 564, Tuesday, February 26, 2002
More personal experiences
By Joe Boling
Last week I wrote about my use of MPC as an Air Force brat. When I entered the Army in 1964, my first assignment was to Germany for three years. All locations in Europe had already converted to green, so there were no MPC in my wallet. I had been introduced to paper money as a collectible as early as 1956, when I acquired some Mexican revolutionary notes as souvenirs (and, as a stamp collector, I had paid close attention to the notes that we had used in Morocco and Japan, both MPC and indigenous notes).
In late 1964 I went to a coin and stamp show at Ramstein Air Base. One of the dealers had obsolete German notes in a loose stack--buyer's choice for 20 pfennigs each. That was a nickel apiece. Most were 1923 inflation notes, but there were also the earlier Reichsbank notes that were engraved with beautiful vignettes and scenes. I discovered immediately that notes were a lot prettier than stamps--you could put so much more on a note. I bought a dollar's worth and hardly looked at stamps again.
I started looking for types and varieties in the various antique shops (there were no coin stores per se). Many such places had one or more drawers full of obsolete notes in a chest somewhere in the store. I soon found that non-German notes were very hard to find. The next most available were Austrian, followed by other central European countries (very little France, some Italy, some Bulgaria (but not the now-common 1951 series), some Romania). I did not get to put much in my collection the first two years; Worms (where I was stationed) is a pretty small city.
My third year was in Munich. There I really started building a collection. Not only were there more junk and antique shops, there was a weekly flea market, and the major banks proved to be treasure chests. Munich is close to what was then the Eastern bloc. People coming out of
Czechoslovakia or Hungary brought out obsolete US notes, which they
exchanged for marks. Those dollars ended up in the foreign exchange windows of the major banks. Whenever we had a US holiday that was not a German holiday (such as Thanksgiving or Memorial Day), I would spend the day touring those foreign exchange windows. I would ask for the old, large-size notes or any small notes with seals in colors other than green or blue (remember that silver certificates were still circulating). Mostly I was able to trade dollar for dollar across the counter. Once in a while a teller insisted that I buy the notes with marks, which meant that I had to first buy the marks, so he got two commissions. Grump.
I picked up, in a year, several hundred dollars face in large-size and obsolete small-size notes. In one of my dumber moves, one day I passed a red seal large size FRN in favor of a gold certificate (that bank had about $120 in face that day, and I only had about $30 left when I got there). I ought to have known better--I had lots of gold certificates, and that was the only red seal FRN I ever saw. But that was still in the days of gold restrictions (I could not legally buy the gold coins that every bank had available), so there was a certain mystique about gold certificates that made them seem more desirable.
In early 1967 the great silver certificate rush started, with large dealers in the States buying them at a premium so that they could exchange them for silver bullion at the treasury. The US finance offices were also instructed to withdraw them; it was forbidden to pay them out once received, so I could not buy them at the finance office. I did pick up a few unusual pieces, $5 SCs in series I still needed for my type set, from a friendly finance officer. But I was able to buy them in town without restriction, and the German banks were making no effort to withdraw them or send them to the States for redemption. I added a few hundred dollars worth of them before I got back to the States in November 1967.
Central Germany was barren of those old notes. Frankfurt was absolutely picked clean. Munich remained pretty good the whole year I was there, and I made one trip to north Germany, visiting Hamburg, Hannover, Bremen, and Bremerhaven. I got quite a few nice pieces on that trip, including a bison $10 Treasury note. That particular bank was the only one at which I ever had to pay a premium. I don't remember how much it was (a percentage of face), but it was not much and I was happy to pay it.
When I left Germany on the way to Vietnam, I immediately sold the duplicate type notes and silver certificates in New York (to Donald Brigandi), before heading to Texas to meet my wife for a few weeks of leave and then on to McChord for the flight west. We'll take it up there next week.
USPS SUGGESTS WAYS TO PROTECT ITEMS FROM EFFECTS OF IRRADIATION
The United States Postal Service (USPS) offers advice to protect items like collectable paper money from the harmful effects of electron irradiation. American Numismatic Association (ANA) President John W. Wilson says, "The Postal Service is using irradiation to guard against the spread of anthrax through the mail system. While the ANA is fully supportive of this procedure, we recognize that this high-temperature process can damage some numismatic items. To prevent such harm, we recommend that collectors and others mailing collectable material, especially paper money, follow the advice from the Postal Service."
In a January 22, 2002, news release posted on the USPS web site (www.usps.gov/news/2001/press/mailsecurity/updwash.htm), postal officials say that currently only mail "with stamps for postage’ addressed to government agencies in the ZIP code ranges 202-205" (Washington, D.C., area) will continue to undergo irradiation. Express and Priority Mail with meter strips, corporate accounts or permit indicia and registered mail is not irradiated, according to the Postal Service. "Customers and businesses sending mail to ZIP Codes 202 205 can avoid the irradiation process by affixing postage meter strips or permit indicia instead of postage stamps to Express or Priority Mail," postal officials state. "The use of corporate accounts for Express Mail or registered mail also is another way to avoid the irradiation process.
The USPS says irradiated mail "may exhibit a discolored (tan-colored) quality, as well as be brittle, show spots on envelopes and make address labels unreadable. Documents bound with glue may have loose pages and some mail may have fused pages. If tape is affixed to address labels, the address will likely not be readable after being irradiated. The type of damage depends on the fiber content of the paper. "U.S. Postal Service officials say that "for the foreseeable future" they will continue to irradiate "letters, flats, Express and Priority Mail with stamps for postage and other packages with stamps for postage." They add that "at this time, irradiation is the only process used by the Postal Service to sanitize the mail."
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Editorial
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I continue to have substantial trouble with the Gram mailing list here at Yahoo. I am working on this and expect to have it fixed soon, but the situation is not good. Many Gramsters are missing Gram. If you missed this one, send me a notice and I will send you a copy.
Howard’s letter below addressed to Bill Murry accuses me of loosing a lot of emails. Well, I certainly loose more than I should. Possibly even a lot, but part of this is a function of this amazing medium that we have. We now expect to see submissions in the Gram immediately. Believe it or not, we try to plan the Gram. Sometimes items are held for space consideratoins, other times to meet a theme idea, and other times because the item is too good to be simply included with other material instead of being featured. Thank you for your submissions—and sometimes your patience.
Festers, THIS IS IMPORTANT, we REALLY need a home town for you! See the listings below. If there is no town or not the one that you would like recorded for posterity on sweat shirts and similar important documents, please send it today. We really do NEED this info. You will be pleased that you did.
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Mail Call
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Bill,
Thank you for your email. Yes, we have briefly met at a couple of NLG and NBS meetings, and I very much enjoy reading your columns. I am always interested in reading and looking at first hand accounts of military history. But I am only working on that military history that was involved with the financial instruments of Southeast Asia and not of the South Pacific and Australia.
I have cc'ed this email to Fred too and hope he will publish your response to my browsing onto information about your units. Fred does loose or misplace a lot of emails sent to him for the MPCGram, so please save your inputs and if you do not see them in a couple of weeks, send them again. Thank you again for contacting me and I hope your email is published in the next available MPCGram.
Howard
Dear Editor,
In the morning, I am mailing to you three copies of "The Vintage Years, A generation's heroes recall the World War II Years" supplement to the Southside Sentinel & Rappahannock Record, dated February 21, 2002. My local weekly paper is the Southside Sentinel and I was pleasantly shocked to find an excellent supplement to it about our local WWII vets. Most of them were interviewed and are alive today, but some have passed away, and one of those is an uncle of mine. But if you or anyone else at the MPCFest is interested in corresponding with any of these guys, I can aquire their addresses for you/others so you can learn more about the financial instruments and/or conditions they experienced. I have four more copies, but I am taking one to Florida for Joe Boling and will keep the others for future requests for them. Please show these to your MPCFest attendees and have anyone interested in these guys (and gals) to contact me as soon as possible, and it they want an original copy for their files, I can send out the remaining copies on a first come, first serve basis.
Howard
Dear Gramsters,
At Howard Daniel's urging I sent an article on Afghanistan propaganda over to Coin World. It is in their latest issue. They actually only printed part of it, but since it runs over 6000 words, I am sure that they were overwhelmed by the size of the complete article.
Herb Friedman
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Departments
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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.
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Special "MPC" events
March 2002 8-10 - MPCFest III –
Fest II Company Roster
Name Fests MPC events hometown
Bell, Doug 3 3 Duncan, Oklahoma
Bows, Ray 1 1
Chambliss, Carlson 1 1 Kutztown, PA
Cummings, Mike 1 1
Feeback, Sam 2 3 Lawton, OK
Frey, Ed 1 1
Freyser, Richard 2 2
Glaser, Al$$$ 2 2 San Diego, CA
Goldstein, Phil 3 3
Hardy, Wes 2 2
Hardy, Rod 2 2
Hicks, Gary 2 2
Koch, Tom 1 1
Kroll, Harold 3 4 Owatonna, MN
Lippincott, Jack 3 3 Fargo, ND
Maloy, Kevin 3 4
Marshall, Ian 2 2
McNease, Bill 2 2
Mericle, Marv 3 3
Potter, Bruce 2 2 Bartlesville, OK
Ryan, Gene 1 1 Monett, MO
Schrier, Nick 3 3
Schwan, Fred 3 4 Port Clinton, OH
Seelye, David 2 2 North Chili
Smith, Elmer 2 2 Berne, IN
Smulczenski, Larry 3 3
Talso, Warner 2 3 Albuquerque, NM
Turner, Marcus 3 3
Walsh, Russ$$ 1 1 Dallas, Texas
Watson, Mark$$ 1 2
Yanchick, Bill$$ 2 3
[Fest reservations for Fest IV: Guido Crapanzano, Tom Warburton, (Barnacle) Bill Lovell, Harold Kroll, Fred Schwan]
Fest registration is $149 including lodging, meals, activities, and assorted goodies. Single occupancy is available for an additional $50. Payments may be sent via snail mail to MPCFest/Fred Schwan, 132 E. Second St., Port Clinton, OH 43452 or (preferred except for credit card payment) via paypal using email address fredschwan@yahoo.com. Thank you very much.
Three airports are reasonably available for the Fest. In order of proximity they are:
Toledo
Cleveland
Detroit (Metro)
All three are reasonable. If you can arrive early enough AND coordinate it well ahead, every attempt will be made to pick you up at the airport to save on rental cars. Festers are encouraged to coordinate among themselves for rides. We will also run notices in the Gram and, finally, we will try to coordinate for Festers to run pickups from Fest central.
June 29 to July 5
W.W.II numismatics seminar at ANA Summer Seminar, July 2002
Session I (June 29 through July 5, 2002)
Session II (Sunday, July 7 through Thursday, July 11, 2002)
general events will return
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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 maturner@indy.rr.com
orMilitary 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
Joel Shafer
Ed Hoffman
Howard A. Daniel, III
Keith and Sue Bauman
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Hot Contact List
Below is the BNR Press Hot Contact List. This list serves several functions. Obviously it is an outreach by the dealers listed for your business. Most of them buy and sell MPC. Others organize shows or publish periodicals. They have supported the new Comprehensive Catalog of Military Payment Certificates with their advertising. They deserve your support and patronage.
Secondly, this is a draft from the book that participating dealers should check for correctness. Finally, dealers who are not on it and want to can still get their ads in if they act promptly. Respond to this email or call (419) 732-6683.
We are sorry if the format is a little messed up here in the Gram, we are not sure of how to fix it!
Hot Contact List
Dealers and resources for collectors
Name/phone/fax/email
Allens (614) 882-3937 (614) 882-0662 info@allens.com
American Coins & Collectibles (800) 865-3562
American Numismatic Association (800) 367-9723 ana@money.org
Bob Baker (713) 864-3122
Ken Barr (408) 272-3247 ken@kenbarr.com
Fred Bart (810) 979-3400
Dick Balbaton (508) 699-2266 (508) 643-1154 RJBalbaton@AOL.com
Keith and Suzanne Bauman (248) 262-1514 tnaksbauman@earthlink.net
Joe Bissell (602) 440-0442 (602) 494-9103
BNR Press (419) 732-6683 (419) 732-6683 fredschwan@yahoo.com
Remy Bourne (800) 789-7070 (763) 789-4747
Ed Carne (614) 882-3937 (614) 882-0662 info@allens.com
Champion Stamp (212) 489-8130 (212) 581-8130
Cookie Jar Collectibles (301) 604-9225 cjc-pi@home.com
Guido Crapanzano [39] 2-8056228 [39] 2-4459856
Currency Dealer Newsletter (310) 515-7369
David F. Cieniewicz (205) 852-7015
Currency Grading & Certification (602) 493-4758 (602) 494-9103 sales@gradedcurrency.com
Cygnet Charters (419) 734-2422
Ray Czahor (301) 604-9225 cjcpi@comcast.net
Doric Coins & Currency (508) 699-2266 (508) 643-1154
FUN (407) 321-8747
Phil Goldstein (845) 254-MPC1 (6721) IWANTMYMPC@AOL.COM
Great Lakes Bank Note Company (800) 793-0683
David Cieniewicz (256) 852-7015
Mike Cummings (863) 603-9899 (863) 603-9880 mpccoin@hotmail.com
Great Lakes Bank Note Company (419) 732-6683
International Bank Note Society joeboling@aol.com
Essie kashani (909) 627-3996 (909) 627-2776 kashani10@aol.com
Great Lakes Bank Note Company (419) 732-6683
Lowel Horwdel (765) 583-2748 765 583-4584 horwdel@inshightbb.com
Lyn Knight (800) 243-5211
Krause Publications (715) 445-2214 (715) 445-4087 bnr@krause.com
Harold Kroll (251) 649-5134 HARBONS@AOL.com
Leo May (305) 271-8391 LeoMayent@aol.com
Ian Marshall (416) 445-0286 (416) 445-0286 iam@total.net
Memphis Coin Club (901) 757-2515
MPCGram (419) 732-6683 MPCGram@Yahoo.com
Bob Reed (504) 361-5684
Fred Schwan (419) 732-6683
David Seelye (585) 594-1987 (585) 594-2311
R. M. Smythe (800) 622-1880 (212) 908-4047
Military Trader (800) 334-7165
Fred Schwan (419) 732-6683 (419) 732-6683 FredSchwan@Yahoo.com
Richie Self (318) 868-9077
Mel Steinberg & Son (415) 453-9750 (415) 457-4432 melsteinberg@mindspring.com
Scott Winslow Associates (603) 472-7040 (603) 472-8773 scott@scottwinslow.com
George Warner (307) 672-3700
Pam West [44] 0208 641 3224 [44] 0208 641 3224 pamwestbritnotes@compuserve.com
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 advertisement of material for sale (related to military money collecting) will be accepted for this section at no charge as a public service.
Fourth edition Comprehensive Catalog of Military Payment Certificates by Fred Schwan shipping about March 5. Order yours now.
Standard edition (400 pages!) $50
Collectors’s Edition (432 pages!) $95
Researchers’ Edition (432 page, 46 produced, limited to availability) $125
All orders plus $4 shipping per order (NOT per book). Send snail mail payment to BNR Press, 132 E. Second St., Port Clinton, OH 43452 or PayPay using email fredschwan@yahoo.com.
ALLIED MILITARY CURRENCY FOR JAPAN, SERIES 100, 'A' YEN P-62 10 sen F $6, F/VF $8, VF $10, VF/XF ph $15, XF slight stain $17.50, CU $37.50 P-64 50 sen VG $4, F $6, F/VF $8, VF $10, VF/XF $15, AU $25, AU/CU $35, CU $45 P-66 1 YEN VG/F $5, F $7, F/VF $9, VF $12, VF/XF $15, XF $20, XF/AU $25, AU $30 P-68 5 YEN VG/F $20, F $30, VF $40, P-70 10 YEN F $40, F/VF $50, VF $75, minor paper clip stain on Face XF $150 P-72 20 YEN VG $100, minor stains VF $150, VF $200 Shipping is $2.50 per order. If insurance coverage is desired, the fee Is extra. Please confirm availability: hoffman@rabbitbrush.com
MPC for sale:
Series 481 50 Cents 1st printing VG 6.00
Series 481 50 Cents 1st printing F GR 10.00
Series 481 50 Cents 1st printing F 12.50
Series 481 50 Cents 1st printing A.VF 20.00
Series 481 50 Cents 1st printing gr. VF 20.00
Series 481 50 Cents 1st printing VF 25.50
Series 481 50 Cents 1st printing gr A.EF 25.00
Series 481 50 Cents 1st printing EF 50.00
Series 481 50 Cents 1st printing A.UNC 100.00
Series 481 50 Cents 1st printing UNC stain 125.00
Series 481 50 Cents 2nd printing F-VF 15.00
Series 481 50 Cents 2nd print tape damage? VF 10.00
Series 481 50 Cents 2nd printing VF 26.00
Series 481 50 Cents 2nd printing EF 60.00
Series 481 50 Cents 2nd printing A.UNC 100.00
Series 481 50 Cents 3rd printing F 25.00
Series 481 50 Cents 3rd printing VF 75.00
Series 481 50 Cents 3rd printing EF 150.00
Please confirm at 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.
Collector wants All USAFFE and AUSA Free Samar notes All 125th Infantry Regiment and Markings Guerrilla notes. I am also interested in any and all Guerilla Municipal issues.
if you have any of this material for sale, advertise it in the Gram
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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 – ski@prodigy.net
critic: Harold Kroll – HARBONS@aol.com
scholarship coordinator – Marcus Turner maturner@indy.rr.com
fact checker: Warner Talso
index manager: Ed Beaman
webmaster & technical advisor -- Doug Bell - (Wiz): doug@papermoneyworld.net
The Boss: Judy Schwan