============================================== by Marcus Turner Tomorrow: WESTPMEX, NY Show Report ==============================================
Special thanks to Ken Kugler for submitting the above letter. It
is a very nice piece of history. I have to say, I love history like this..
Realizing this incident happened 57 years ago, and here is is printed again and
appreciated. I can only wonder at all the undiscovered tidbits lying in some
archives or library waiting to be brought to light again. Perhaps some
enterprising Gram recipients can visit their local libraries, or search the web
for articles of interest... Who knows whats out there? Ass't Ed. ============================================== Phil, ==============================================
===================================================
Dealers and resources for collectors: ===================================================
FOR SALE ===================================================
===================================================
MPC Gram
==============================================
Covering the entire World of Military Numismatics
----------------------------------------------
Series 003 - Number 594
Sunday - 14 APRIL 2002
___________________
__320 days to Fest IV__
SHOW REPORT -
MAASTRICHT, NETHERLANDS
Today the show opened to the
public. Attendance was very heavy and sales brisk. The big buy of
the day was made by David Seelye, finding a North African 50 Franc POW
note. It is only 1 of two know, is the note pictured in Campbell and has
been traced back to the Ruth Hill Collection. Several other great finds
were made over the course of the day. The day was capped off by dinner
with the english speaking contingent including dealers and friends from the UK
and Australia including Tom Warburton, Pam West, Trevor Wilkin, Ian Gradon and
several others.
Tomorrow will be the last day the show and trading on
the floor will continue until 6:00pm. Closing of last minute deals should
be rampant. It looks like I may have found a ride back to Frankfurt so I will
probably stay at the Parkhotel for another day meaning another report for
everyone to suffer through. More to come.
FEATURED ARTICLE
Hasty Counterfeiters Convicted
by Sgt. Howard
Taubman, Staff Correspondent
submitted by Ken Kugler
This is from
the Stars and Stripes, Mediterranean and was printed in Italy.
It is Vol. 1,
No. 208, Page 2 - Thursday 15 March 1945.
Rome, March 14- Two Italians
who printed 1,100,000 lire worth of Allied military currency, were convicted
before an Allied military court today. It was brought out at the trial that
their counterfeiting job was remarkably good but that they were nabbed because
they were a little too hasty in cashing in on their phony 5000 lire notes. The
defendants were Tancredi Cicala, 56-year old lithographer and employee of the
Ministry of Communications who received a 10-year jail sentence, and Turindo
D’Incicco, a porter at the University of Rome, who got seven years. They were
nabbed by Allied agents before they could get rid of more than a few thousand
lire of their currency, Lt. Louis A. Sabatino of Miami, Fla. the prosecutor told
the court consisting of an American major and British and lieutenant.
The counterfeiters had done their job of printing 500-lire notes that
the Bank of Rome accepted their money in good faith. It was only because Sgt. H.
G. Hogg of New Zealand was observant that they were prevented from disposing of
a lot more of the fake currency. Cicala, a small man with graying hair, whose
background and record were respectable, deposited 7,000 lire of the phony money
at the Bank of Rome last December. The clerk who accepted it was later forced to
make up the money to the bank.
Shortly after Cicala’s deposit, some
of the currency was turned over to an Italian messenger from the New Zealand
Club in an exchange for Italian money. Sgt. Hogg received the money, fingered
it, was suspicious. He thought that the currency was moist as if the ink was not
entirely dry. He called in the British MP’s. Sgt. Maj. L. Tubby and Lt. E. W.
Pinder, former British constables and with the Special Investigating Branch,
worked on the case for about six weeks. They found Cicala quickly enough, and he
had some fake currency, but not much. He kept giving them false leads, naming
nonexistent accomplices who lived at nonexistent addresses in Rome.
Finally they tracked down D’Incicco
at his apartment on the roof of one of the University of Rome buildings. The
press used to print the money was in D’Incicco’s home. Further search on the
University premises brought to light the plates on which the engravings were
made. Since D’Incicco knew that investigators were on his trail, he concealed as
much of the incriminating evidence as he could. He had either a sardonic sense
of humor or had read too many thrillers. The plates were found hidden in the
desks of several professors. One turned up in the office of an economics
teacher. The investigators said that the professors were wholly guiltless and
were thoroughly unhappy when evidence was found in their desks.
The
court ordered that the press plates and inks be turned over to the British
police school here for classroom study.
==============================================
EDITORIAL
mpcgram@yahoo.com
iwantmympc@aol.com
Doug Bell can be
contacted at: mpc@sirinet.net
*
* * *
* * *
* * *
MAIL
CALL
Was there an MPCGRAM 592? If so I didn't get
it. Since joining the group short while ago, I lood forward to each MPC
gram and the info contained therein. Please check on 592 for me and keep
me on your email listing.
Will any of the gramsters be going to
Memphis? My wife and I plan to attend. Regards,
Roger Urce
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
ANA Seminar: 29 June to 5 July
W.W. II
numismatics seminar at ANA Summer Seminar, July 2002
Session I
Session II (Sunday, 7 July
through Thursday, 11 July, 2002)
general events will return
WESPMEX: 27 & 28 July
Stamp, Coin and Paper Money
Expo
175 tables
Westchester County Center, Bronx River Pkwy, White
Plains, NY
WESPMEX: 11 to 13 October
Stamp, Coin and
Paper Money Expo
100 tables
Westchester County Center, Bronx River Pkwy,
White Plains, NY
WESPMEX: 29 November to 1 December
Stamp, Coin and Paper Money Expo
160 tables
Westchester County
Center, Bronx River Pkwy, White Plains, NY
2003
CPMX
9: 20-23 February,
MPC Fest IV: 28 Feb -
2 March, Port Clinton, OH
Fest Registrants: Leo May$$, Tom Warburton,
Guido Crapanzano, Harold Kroll, Larry Smulczenski, Kevin Maloy, Doug Bell,
Marcus Turner, Philip M. Goldstein, Jack Lippincot, Nick Shrier, David Seelye,
Joe Boling, Gary Hicks, Fred Schwan, Dick Freyser.
Running total: 16
$$
= Paid
ANA: 19-22 March, Charlotte, NC
2004
CPMX 10: 26-29 Feb,
MPC Fest V: 5-7
March, Port Clinton, OH
2005
CPMX 11: 24-27 Feb,
MPC Fest VI: 4-6 March, Port Clinton, OH
SCHOLARSHIP DONATIONS
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
or contact
Marcus at:
maturner@indy.rr.com
Donors
to 2002 Scholarship Fund:
Dave Amey
Gail
Baker
Keith
and Sue Bauman Ort Cowles
Guido
Crapanzano
Howard
A. Daniel, III
Steve
Feller
Gary
Hicks
Ed Hoffman
Harold
Kroll
Tim
Kyzivat
R.
A. Medina
Leo May
Marv
Mericle
Mr.
691
David
Seelye
Joel Shafer
Neil Shafer
Warner
Talso
Mark
Watson
John & Nancy Wilson
Bill
Yanchick
===================================================
HOT CONTACT LIST
They
deserve your support and patronage!
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fax
email
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& Collectibles (800)
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American Numismatic Ass'n
(800)
367-9723
ana@money.org
Bob Baker
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864-3122
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[39]
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321-8747
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oth@prairieweb.com
Philip M.
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732-6683
IBNS
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Essie Kashani
(909)
627-3996 (909) 627-2776
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Lowel Horwdel
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Smithsonian
Research
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622-1880 (212) 908-4047
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& Son
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Military Trader
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Scott Winslow Associates
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scott@scottwinslow.com
George Warner
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Pam West
[44]
0208 641 3224 [44] 0208 641 3224 pamwestbritnotes@compuserve.com
POST / BASE EXCHANGE (PX/BX/NEX)
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
Researcher's 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 Street
Port Clinton, OH 43452
or PayPal using email: fredschwan@yahoo.com
WANTED
WANTED
Souvenir Card 'MPC Fest I' from the first MPC Fest.
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.
WANTED TO BUY: Bulk quantities of Afghanistan propaganda leaflets or
related.
Looking for a Series 641 MPC, any denomination with the serial
number J02283151J.
MPC CATALOG CORRECTIONS & ENHANCEMENTS
Page 18, Bottom - Users of Military Payment
Certificates
Check marks were omitted from production copies of books.
Please check off the following:
Australia:
641, 661, 681, 692
Canada:
461 through
and including 591
Korea:
641,
661, 681, 692
New Zealand: 641, 661, 681, 692
Thailand:
641, 661, 681, 692
United States: All
Page 207, #833/4 - Series 481 .25 4th
Printing (table listing serial number breakdowns) line 5
Start
Number is incorrect. It appears as:
(start) D14784001D (end)
D14784000D
Correct start number should be: D09408001D
PK6 (date listed: 03 APRIL 2002)
Page
214, #855/r2 - Series 541 $1 Replacements,
Ending serial number is
incorrect
Correct number is F1112000
(date listed: 02
APRIL 2002)
Page 220, #884/2r - Series 641 .50
Replacements
On page 284, it is broken down into 2 printings. That's
correct, BUT, on page 220 he lists only (1) printing reported. It should "list"
both first and second printings.
Guy Araby (date
listed 04 APRIL 2002)
Page 287, Series 661 Series Summary,
25 cent note: the "list" shows "#CU as 10(7) . It should read, 8(7). As only 8
are known in CU. Just recount P.289.
Guy Araby (date
listed 08 APRIL 2002)
Page 398, Series #541 $10 on
"UNC." price is $2500, on P.214 the UNC. price is $3500. Also the rest of
the prices don't match all the way to "VG" on this issue. They should be the
same price.
Guy Araby (date listed 08 APRIL 2002)
Staff:
Publisher and Editor:
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Schwan -
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Assistant
Editor:
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M. Goldstein -
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Tuesday
Columnist :
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Thurski
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M. Goldstein
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Critic:
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Kroll -
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Coordinator:
Marcus
Turner -
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Talso -
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& Nancy Wilson -
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