Status: U Return-Path: Received: from mail.papermoneyworld.net ([207.3.91.49]) by osgood.mail.mindspring.net (Earthlink Mail Service) with SMTP id u34ato.nba.37kbi1v for ; Tue, 1 Jan 2002 16:35:52 -0500 (EST) Subject: MPC GRAM Precedence: bulk Sender: mpcgram-owner@mail.papermoneyworld.net From: mpcgram-owner@mail.papermoneyworld.net (List Server) Date: Tue, 1 Jan 102 15:11:43 CST Message-Id: <10201011511.AAD8644D0@mail.papermoneyworld.net> Repy-To: mpcgram-owner@mail.papermoneyworld.net Date: Tue, 1 Jan 2002 09:40:41 -0800 (PST) From: MPCgram Subject: MPCGram 528 ============================================== MPC Gram ============================================== Covering the Entire World of Military Numismatics ---------------------------------------------- Series 003-Number 528 Tuesday, January 1, 2002 Late Last Thurski by Larry "Ski" Smulczenski Well, Christmas is over and Santa treated us all very well. By the time you read this I will be motoring back to Florida and hopefully I will be able to answer all the emails that have piled up while I had my computer problem and since I've been away for the holidays. Bare with me, I will answer those queries that some of you have sent and I have not got around to. I was able to sneak away from the kids and grandkids one day last week and traveled down to San Antonio to Lone Star Coins to see some of my old collecting buddies. Ric Medina Sr. and Ric Jr. were doing a booming Christmas gift trade in the shop. There was a steady stream of folks coming in to purchase gifts such as state quarters and quarter boards to gold coins. Old Friends Robin Ellis and Dr. Claudio Cepeda were also there and we had a great time catching up on common collecting interests and rehashing old times. Ric Sr. was eager to show us some of his recent acquisitions. He had called me about a Mexican circulating check that he had picked up and I was very interested in seeing that. Most of us have heard about and seen the emergency circulating checks of Italy, but I for one had never seen one from Mexico other than those pictured in World War II Remembered. These were issued in 1943, because of a coinage shortage probably caused by wartime hoarding. Remembered states that Neil Shafer and others did the research to produce the listing shown or pages 332-333 of the book. A great majority of the checks are denominated in a value of 50 centavos. If any of you have one or more of these in your collection, let us hear about them. Ric also had some new POW chits that he recently picked up. His collection now comprises almost 225 of these interesting little items. That's a significant number as you just don't find many of them on the bourse floors. I have about a hundred more in my collection, but still was able to find a dozen that Ric had that I did not. No new locations, but some values and serial number suffix letters that I don't have. This was valuable data from the research point of view. I was able to add four encased postage stamp small change tokens from Denmark to my collection from Ric's duplicates. These are coin substitutes, just like the Mexican circulating checks, but in this case feature a postage stamp on the face and an advertisement from a merchant on the back. You can see these on page 78-80 of Remembered. They are neat little items where a lot of room for research still remains. So all in all, Christmas and my visit to Austin and San Antonio were great, but I look forward to getting home to familiar surroundings. I'm currently in the second typing of this column, because I hit the wrong button on daughters computer and lost the first iteration. Hope you all have a Happy New Year and we'll see you next Thurski in 2002. ============================================== Editorial ---------------------------------------------- In the travels around the western states Ski's last column for 2001 got lost in the either. Sorry about that! In order to try to make amends to everyone, we are running his column in the prime position of the year. This gives everyone another opportunity to send in New Year's predictions! Send them in! ============================================= Mail Call ---------------------------------------------- Dear Gram, The EURO is here. Some say this introduction of a common currency on 1 January 2002 is the most significant numismatic event in modern times ! A good Web Site to get the facts and to view the coins and notes is: www.euro.gov.uk There are seven notes of common design in denominations of 5,10,20,50,100,200 & 500 EUROS. The eight coin denominations have a common "EURO" side and each of the twelve countries have their own designs on the other side. That means 96 different coins for a set! There is confusion as to which side of these coins is the obverse and which is the reverse. The current exchange rate is 1Dollar US = .97EURO. David Klinger ================================================ 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, Gene Ryanwood, Al Glaser, Fred Schwan {running total 25}] [missing “old” Festers: Dan Swartz, Leo May, Al Glaser, Kevin Maloy (did I forget someone?), come on guys, give us your reservation] 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 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 Joel Shafer Ed Hoffman ==================================================== 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. SPECIAL NOTICE We are in a mad final push to complete the fourth edition of our MPC bible! We can and will have it to the printer before Christmas! The resources section is one of the major areas where work is needed. Place your advertisement now! If you ordered an ad in the past and we have not spoken about it recently, please confirm. This is your chance to get your message to thousands of collectors and dealers world wide. With an advertisement in The Comprehensive Catalog of Military Payment Certificates you will receive many extras (these may change over time): listing in the Hot Contact List every month in the Bank Note Reporter, in the book itself, at papermoneyworld and probably right here in the Gram. Here is what is available: Inside back cover, one spot $1900* Last page $1700 Full page in resources section $750 Three quarter page $550 Half page $500 Quarter page $400 *full color available for this position. Monthly payment option available. Make your reservation now! FOR SALE World War II Remembered, the bible of military money collecting. $69 from the publisher. Email fred@papermoneyworld.net. 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 –ski@papermoneyworld.net critic: Harold Kroll - MPCKid@papermoneyworld.net fact checker: Warner Talso 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!? Send your FREE holiday greetings online! http://greetings.yahoo.com