Glossary of Terms & Definitions for
Military Currency

AGGRESSOR MONEY: notes used in military exercises (mostly overseas) to simulate the use of money indigenous to the area.

ALLIED MILITARY CURRENCY: (A.M.C.); Allied Military Currency is considered an occupation issue. These issues of paper money were distributed in Allied Occupied areas following World War 2: Italy, France, Germany, Austria, Denmark, and Japan, in the denominations respective to the area, making it more acceptable to the local population.  These notes were used by both military and civilian populations in the countries in which issued, to restore and control the economy of the occupied area.

BACK OF NOTE: (mistakenly called reverse) depending on note, sometimes printed, on others, blank: (uniface) Distinguished from front of note by the lack of serial numbers, date, or any other descriptive marking.

BINARY NOTE: a serial number that contains only two different numerals in random order, any combination or quantity. i:e: 13113313 or 58888858.

BLACK MARKET: a person or group selling merchandise (civilian & military) illegally (usually stolen) outside of normal military supply channels.

CAMP MONEY: these issues were used in Concentration, Prisoner of War, Displaced Persons, and Civilian Internment Camps, worldwide. These issues consisted of chits, actual notes of paper money, and coinage. These forms of camp money were issued to detainees and prisoners, so that should in the event of an escape, the money issued internally in the camps would be valueless against regular indigenous currencies. 

CANTEEN MONEY: paper money or tokens stamped or marked with a specific base or area location used specifically  for purchases in       that specific area, or on that specific base or location

CASE NOTE OR CASE END NOTE: can also apply to carton notes: i.e.: US MPC had 4000 notes to a carton, (2 cartons to a case) which total 8000 notes to a case, therefore the first note in a case could be E06448001E, so the last note of that case would be E06456000E. Easier to remember: a note that the serial number ends with 000, 0000, 00000 or 001,0001, 00001.

'C' DAY: see: Conversion Day

CHITS: paper money, usually in the form of perforated, detachable cardboard tickets in booklet form (usually about the size of old movie tickets) marked with the location of use. Can apply to Canteen Money, or money used in camps that housed Prisoners of War.

CONVERSION DAY: referred to as 'C' Day; the day, in which US Military Payment Certificates were traded in for the next series in succession, and, of which the date of, was considered top secret. (Withdrawal & Issue Date). On this day, all military personnel were restricted to base, and non personnel prohibited from entering the base. This was to prevent the old series of issue from being exchanged for the new by non military personnel, namely black market participants. After the old series was collected, and the new series issued, the old series became worthless monetarily, and therefore could no longer be used for purchases or exchanged. example: Series 541 was collected, (withdrawn) and Series 591 was handed out in exchange (issued). This is not to be confused with a pay day.

COUNTERFEIT NOTES: there are different varieties of counterfeits:
1) "Contemporary Counterfeits": Notes made during the time of issue of the real circulating note, intended to devalue the economy that the real note was circulating in.
2) "Modern Counterfeits": Notes made after the time frame of actual usage of the real note, and is offered for sale as a genuine note, to bilk an unknowledgeable collector due to it's rarity.
3) "Fantasy Note": sometimes considered a counterfeit, other times not. (see: Fantasy Note)

CURRENCY: any type of paper money or coins, including tokens, chits, tickets, etc. with monetary value

ESSAY NOTE: a note or set of notes, that were printed with the possibility of use for a particular area or purpose, sort of as an experiment. Sometimes before going into final production, several different essay notes were created to test visual recognition, durability, as well as other factors. Essay notes usually carrying serial numbers comprised of all zeros. 

EVIDENCE NOTE: notes that were used in in illegal & criminal acts: drugs, blackmarketeering, and counterfeit notes. The notes were confiscated and usually overstamped (but not always with the same legend) with a marking stating: EVIDENCE, CID (Criminal Investigative Division of US Army) EVIDENCE and / or NON NEGOTIABLE. It is believed that some overstamps are fantasies and/or counterfeits, however no proof of such exists at this time.

EXPERIMENTAL NOTE: a note or series of notes used to test various compositions of ink or paper or size for wear characteristics. In order for an experiment to be conducted, there must be a test group and a control group. Certain serial number ranges will comprise of the regular issue, and the other group will contain the test. This way, there is a standard of comparison. Experimental notes usually have a special identifying mark, such as the red "R" & "S" on the Series 1935A $1 notes, or special prefix/suffix US $1 Series 1928A & 1928B X-B, Y-B and Z-B prefix/suffix notes, 1935 A-B, B-B, and C-B so they can be identified easily.

FANCY SERIAL NUMBER: notes with a desirable combination or arrangement of numbers. see: Carton End Note, Case End Note, Low Serial Number, Pack End Note, Progressive or Regressive "Ladder" Serial Number, Radar Note, Repeater Note, Binary Note, Solid or Partial Serial Number, "Flippers", or a "Swims" Note.

FANTASY NOTE: a note, a set, a series of notes, or overstamp or legend, that was created by an enterprising and creative person,  that bears some resemblance to an actual circulating note, but was never confirmed to have actually circulated during that time frame or in that area. Mostly sold as a novelty, and usually with the knowledge that the particular note in question, is a fantasy. (i.e.: most uncirculated Italian Concentration Camp notes are believed to be Fantasy Notes, due to the facts that:
a) imprisoned persons at that particular location or camp, do not recall seeing the notes, and/or
b) that almost, if not all, notes are known in uncirculated condition, which is an improbability if the notes actually circulated. (compare with: Unissued Remainders)

F.D.S.: Finance Disbursement Section of the US Army, the group of personnel responsible for the training of finance clerks in handling of US M.P.C.

FLIPPER NOTE: a note with a serial number comprised of numerals that can be read upside down as well as right side up: 0, 1, 6, 8, 9, but the serial number itself does not read the same upside down as right side up. i.e.: an note with SN 06891109 right side up reads 60116890 upside down.

FRACTIONALS: (or fractional notes) In US M.P.C.: these notes are denominated in various divisions of a whole dollar: 5 cents, 10 cents, 25 cents and 50 cents. This was done to avoid the expense of issuing metal, plastic or cardboard type coinage, and to account for the number notes issued by the use of serial numbers printed on the notes, and to differentiate the succeeding series of notes with a more visible identification means.

FACE OF NOTE:  (mistakenly called front or obverse of note) usually the side of the note bearing the serial number, or any other descriptive information, or main discriminating factor to be compared against other notes of similar design. (see back of note, for comparison.)

HOARD: similar to Unissued Remainders, but differs in the fact that a hoard is intentionally stored with the anticipated release of the item in question, or, notes can be released in limited quantities, at irregular intervals, to keep the documented value of the item in question, high, and therefore valuable to collectors.

INTAGLIO: (Intaglio Printing): (This process is used for regular issue US Paper Money, and not for US M.P.C... US M.P.C. uses the offset lithography printing method.) The printing of money begins with the hand-engraved piece of soft steel, known as a master-die. Separate portions of the design, such as the portrait, the vignette, the ornamentation, and the lettering are hand-cut by the engravers. If you look closely at a currency note, you will notice that the portrait consists of numerous fine lines, dots and dashes which vary in size and shape.The original dies are stored and transferred to a printing plate. The original dies are stored and if necessary may be used again and again. The master die is subjected to tremendous pressure, heated and an impression of the die is taken. An alto and/or relief (a raised image of the die) is cast in plastic. Multiple plastic images of the various components (such as the decorative scrollwork) of the note are made, fitted and welded into the necessary plate configuration consisting of thirty-two notes. Plastic altos are placed in an electrolytic tank and are used to produce a series of plates, which are then cleaned, polished, and carefully inspected by an engraver. If the plates pass the scrutiny of the engraver, the final chromium coated basso (recessed image) plate is made and another multiple subject intaglio plate is ready to place on the printing press. Each sheet is forced, under extremely heavy pressure (estimated at 20 tons), into the finely recessed lines of the plate to pick up the ink. The printing impression is three dimensional in effect and requires the combined handiwork of highly skilled artists, bank note engravers, and plate printers. The surface of the note feels slightly raised, while the reverse side feels slightly indented.

ISSUE DATE: the date on which a new series of M.P.C. was supplied to military personnel. This is also the same day on which the previous issue was withdrawn for circulation. (see: Conversion Day, for explanation)

JAPANESE INVASION MONEY: (J.I.M.); these notes were issued by the occupying Japanese forces in the Philippine islands area. These note were intended to replace all indigenous currency,  for the areas of: Philippines, Malaya, Netherlands East Indies, British Oceania, and Burma. But upon the issuing of these notes, underground guerrilla fighters on the islands printed their own form of paper money. (see Philippine Guerrilla Money)

LITHOGRAPHY: (offset lithography): this is the method use to print US M.P.C.: the process of  printing from a flat surface (metal or rubber plate) on which the image to be printed is ink-receptive, and the non printed areas are ink-repellent. US M.P.C. was run through the press no less than two times. Each individual design, color, vignette, and numbering required a separate printing or "pass" through the printing press. In the end, essentially, what is done is different printings are stacked on top of one another to give you the finished image.

LOW SERIAL NUMBER: a note with a serial that starts with multiple zeros, i.e. 00, 000, 0000, 00000, 000000. Most serial numbers on bank notes contain at least 6 digits, and most collectors consider serial numbers that start with 4 zeroes or more to be low, while others collect with 3 zeroes or more, i.e.: J00000222J, or B00001335B, or F00049561F. General rule of thumb, if the note has the first half of the serial numbers with zeroes, it's a low serial number note.

MATCHING NOTE: a note that has any or all of the the following numbers matching one another:  series / position number / last two digits of serial number and denomination, i.e.:
a note from Series 521 with the serial number: E03240521E,  or Series 641 with the serial number J98231641J, etc...
a 50¢ cent note from position 50, a $10 note from position 10, etc...
a 5¢ cent note with the serial number A89674505A, a $10 note with the serial number C02780210C
or a 25¢ cent note with the serial number E34658725E and from position number 25, a $5 note with the serial number D03621105D from position number 5

M.B.F.: abbreviation of Military Banking Facility

M.B.F. CHECK: these are bank checks issued by a Military Banking Facility, to be drawn against a military personnel's account, but were payable in US or indigenous currency.

M.P.C.: abbreviation of U.S. Military Payment Certificates

M.P.C. CHECK: There are two types of Military Payment Certificate Checks: Type I, and Type II.
Type I: These were bank issued checks, to be drawn against a military personnel's bank account, and were only payable in M.P.C. This was done so that military personnel can save M.P.C. safely, yet not allow them to deposit M.P.C., and withdraw US or indigenous
currency.
Type II: These checks were payable in US dollars if sent from overseas areas to the United States, and redeemable in M.P.C. if cashed in the overseas area from which it originated.

MILITARY BANKING FACILITY: usually a civilian bank, maintaining a branch on a military base, that handled and exchanged US Currency, Indigenous Currency (if overseas) and Military Payment Certificates. Military Banking Facilities are still in use, even though, no M.P.C. are in circulation.

MILITARY CURRENCY: also called: Army Issues: either paper money  (as in US M.P.C.) or both paper money and coin issues (such as: British Military Authority & British Armed Forces notes and tokens) created for the sole use by military forces in occupying areas.

MILITARY MONEY ORDERS: these were money orders issued by the US Postal Service, that were only redeemable on military installations or by US Military Banking Facilities.

MILITARY PAYMENT CERTIFICATES: paper money issued only to United States Military Personnel stationed in overseas areas of occupation by U.S. forces, for use only in United States military establishments by United States authorized personnel in accordance with applicable rules and regulations.

MULTIPLE PRINTING: a single denomination, a partial series, or an entire series or of US M.P.C., that due to a shortage of available notes, had additional notes printed to alleviate the shortage.

NOTE: in numismatic terms: a banknote issued by a bank or financial institution payable to bearer on demand without interest and acceptable as money. Paper money, such as M.P.C., and U.S. Currency, as well as World Paper Money.

OCCUPATION ISSUES: these notes were issued with the intentions of use by both civilian population and occupying forces. ( Allied Military Currency in various European and Far East countries, Japanese Invasion Money in the Philippine areas...)

OVERSTAMP: usually a rubber stamp, applied to paper money or documents bearing a legend for accounting, identification or regulation purposes.

PACK NOTE or PACK END NOTE: a note with the corresponding serial number that was either on the top or the bottom of a pack of notes, i.e.:
US MPC utilized packs of 100 notes: top note serial number ended with 01: J02653101J, therefore bottom note serial number ended with J02653200J, which equal 100 notes. Simpler to remember as any note with a serial number that ends with 00 or 01. Compare with Case End Note.

PAPER MONEY: money consisting of of government backed bank notes; not to include coin and token type issues (also referred to metal issues though some were made of plastic, fiber or cardboard), usually printed on a special counterfeiting resistant paper, or more modernly, a plastic polymer.

PHILIPPINE GUERRILLA MONEY: paper money issued for the various areas, islands, provinces, cities, even military groups, around the Philippine Islands, under occupation by the Japanese forces during World War 2. These notes were for the most part, very crudely printed. To be caught by the Japanese military with these notes on your person, was punishable by death.

PLANCHETTE PAPER: a security paper that is manufactured with small discs of colored paper embedded at random throughout the main sheet of paper. Another type would have silk threads embedded in the paper, as with US Paper Money issues. Planchette Paper is the type of security paper used for US Military Payment Certificates.

POSITION NUMBER: on M.P.C., often mistakenly referred to as a 'block' number: a one or two digit number identifying that individual notes location on the printing sheet, before cutting. Fractional, $1 and $5, $10, $20 notes used different amounts of notes on a sheet and different locations. Fractional notes: numbers 1 through 84, $1 notes: numbers 1 through 70, and $5, $10 and $20 notes: numbers 1 through 50.

PREFIX / SUFFIX LETTER: Prefix; the letter appearing before the numeric serial number, and Suffix; the letter appearing after the numeric serial number. US M.P.C. Replacement notes do not have a suffix letter.

PROGRESSIVE SERIAL NUMBER NOTE: a note with an increasing group / groups of serial numbers such as: 12251226 (four digit progressive) or 00266267 (three digit progressive) or 44556677 (two digit progressive as well as two digit ladder!) or 22446688 (even numeral progressive) These notes are the opposite of regressive serial number notes.

PROOF NOTE: a singular bank note that was printed as a test to determine if the individual engraved plates and materials were up to standards of quality, and not intended for circulation. Usually several proof notes of a particular finished note were created using each separate application of designs and ink colors to determine the overall quality, which when all separate colors and designs were printed created a Progressive Proof Note Set. Included in the set was a note which had all various stages of printing completed on one note, being identical to a regular issue note, but usually bearing an all zero serial number. Each denomination theoretically has it own Proof Note Set.

PROPAGANDA NOTES: these issues are not true money. These notes were produced by opposing forces,  (Axis and Allied, in WW2, US & China in Korea, US & North Vietnamese in Vietnam, Coalition Forces in Iraq) by printing reproductions of banknotes of a particular area or country, sometimes uniface, bearing legends and printing, denouncing the opposing forces and governments....  then usually dropped by air, with the intention of being picked up by the people of those areas (seeing money laying on the ground) and with hopes of reading the legends, and therefore spreading the propaganda.

RADAR NOTE: a "true" radar note has the last four digits of the serial in the exact opposite order as the first four digits, i.e.:
45677654, or 987789, or 51515,  and also can be done in varying formats, i.e.: 00123321, or 14884100 (three digit radar), etc...

REGRESSIVE SERIAL NUMBER NOTE: a note with an decreasing group / groups of serial numbers such as: 01240123 (four digit regressive) or 00532531 (three digit regressive) or 33221100 (two digit regressive as well as a pack note!) or 77553311 (odd numeral regressive) These notes are the opposite of progressive serial number notes.

REPEATER NOTE: a note with repeating combinations of numbers, i.e.: a "true" repeater note: 14141414, (two digit repeater), 00732732 or 13513576, (three digit repeater) or 14451445 (four digit repeater)

REPLACEMENT NOTE: any type of banknote issued to replace a defective note, due to any type of printing, cutting, numbering or handling error.

US Currency: Modern US Currency used a star in place of the suffix letter. Older notes used stars in either the prefix or suffix positions i.e.:
regular note:             A87654321A
replacement note:    A87654321*   or   *87654321A

US MPC: On US M.P.C. this of note is identified by the lack of suffix letter following the serial number. In A.M.C. different issues used different identifying marks. i.e.:
regular note:             A12345678A
replacement note:    A12345678

Allied Military Currency: several different methods were utilized.

Italian A.M.C. used a star prefix, like US Currency,:
regular note:             A98765432A
replacement note:    *98765432A

French A.M.C. used a letter 'X' near the serial number, but not part of it,
regular note:             56781234      
replacement note:    56781234     X

German A.M.C. American printed (Forbes) used a dash in place of the prefix,
regular note:              43219876
replacement note:    -43219876  
(but do not confuse with a Soviet printed note, which used dashes on regular issued notes.)

Austrian A.M.C. also used an 'X':
regular note:              13572468
replacement note:     13572468    X

Japan Type A and Type B A.M.C. used the letter 'H' as a prefix letter.
regular note:             A24681357A
replacement note:    H24681357A

Japan Type B A.M.C. printed by the Finance Ministry Printing Bureau (FMPB) used replacements that lack the suffix letter.
regular note:             B00517690B
replacement note:    B00517690

SERIAL NUMBER: in numismatic terms: a number, or group of numbers used for accounting, numbering and/or security purposes.

SERIES: in US M.P.C.: The three digit identification number, used to identify the year produced (not issued) and, if necessary, the number of issues for that year. First two digits identify the year that series was printed, and the last digit identifies the how many series were printed that year. To date only 2 pairs of series were printed in the same year: 471 & 472, and 691 & 692. i.e.:
Series 471 - first series to be printed in 1947, issued 10 MARCH 1947
Series 472 - second series to be printed in 1947, but issued 22 MARCH 1948
Series 691 - first series to be printing in 1969, ( in storage )
Series 692 - second series to be printed in 1969, but issued 07 OCTOBER 1970

in US Currency: The year of which a design change was instituted is the series. Design changes can be considered a signature change or a change of the actual design. Not all denominations change however at the same time. Former practice used different systems: the year change to signify a design change, and the change of a signature noted with the addition of a letter after the year or the change of the letter if already place.

SHORT SNORTER: there are two types:
1) any type of banknote, or document, that was signed by all members of a unit, squad, group, or aircrew, and usually dated, with a location stated, for souvenir or memorabilia purposes, or:
2) a specifically designed note (not usually marked with a denomination) to commemorate or celebrate a specific occasion or date of significance, i.e.: 25 successful missions, 1 year of active combat service, atomic tests in the Pacific, etc. These notes can also be signed by all members of the group as well. (also called: Military Souvenir Money)

SOLID & PARTIAL SOLID SERIAL NUMBER NOTE: serial number on a note comprised of a single numeral throughout the entire serial number regardless of the number of digits in the serial number. i.e.: 111111111, 22222222, 33333333, 44444444, 55555555, 66666666, 77777777, 88888888, 99999999. A solid 00000000 is usually reserved for specimen or essay notes. Solid serial number notes are perhaps the most sought after and easily recognizable fancy serial number notes. A partial solid contains two groups of the same numeral. i.e.: 22224444, 00000222 or 11111117. Differs from a binary note, where two of the same numerals are mixed throughout the serial number. (see binary note)

SPECIMEN NOTE / BOOK: this is a banknote used for identification and verification purposes of regular issued notes, and to possibly determine the authenticity of notes under suspicion of being counterfeits. These notes by definition, are non-negotiable. These notes were usually found in booklet form, "SPECIMEN BOOKS" and the notes were perforated or printed with the word SPECIMEN, to avoid being mistaken for regular issue notes.  In US M.P.C.: specimen notes were comprised of replacement notes (no suffix letter).

SWIMS NOTE: this is a note, in which the serial number reads the same upside down, as it does right side up. Only numerals that read upside down can be part of the serial number: 1, 6, 8, 9, 0.
i.e.: 00196100, 10688901...

THEATER OF OPERATIONS: A particular area of the world, where military personnel were stationed: EUROPEAN: (ETO) all countries that comprise the continent of Europe, England, France, Germany, etc... PACIFIC: (PTO) all countries in the general area of the Pacific Ocean: Japan, Korea & Micronesia, (Philippine, Solomon, Guam Islands etc. )

TOKEN: a coin type issue of money: usually metal, also plastic, cardboard and fiber, used for purposes other than government issued currency. Main uses of tokens were/are used for transportation, fuel, gambling, meals, snacks, gambling and vending machines. Canteen tokens, are identified by the name of the base that issued them, location/country and with a denomination. Unit Identification Tokens (also called "challenge tokens" are usually marked with the name of an individual unit, squad, or group of military personnel by use of particular name slogan, herald, or insignia, with no denomination.

TRAINING MONEY: mostly paper money, Notes used in training of military personnel responsible for the distribution, withdrawal, accounting, and identification of such paper money used specifically for particular issue. The US Army Administration Center located at Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana is the facility responsible for training the persons responsible for the payment of military personal. The only US MPC training money reported is series 7FDS 60 for the 5 cent through $1 denominations and FDS 60 for the $5 and $10 denominations. (See above for definition of F.D.S.)

UNIFACE: (paper money or coinage) bearing a legend, inscription, or words only on one side of note, chit, coin or token.

UNISSUED REMAINDERS: a quantity of notes, a set of, or series of notes, that were confirmed in use at a particular place and time, but due to the sudden large influx into the collector market, of the same notes, leads one to believe that a large amount of the notes were printed, and that some but not all, were issued or circulated, and that the remainder are being sold. These notes would be considered authentic, but no longer rare or difficult to obtain, as notes issued before the influx, would depreciate in value. (i.e.: some Japanese Invasion Money notes are confirmed to have circulated in the areas at the times known, but due to the large quantity of uncirculated notes, can mean that a large amount was found after the war ended, and not actually circulated for it's intend use, and found it's way, within a short amount of time, into the collectors market.) (compare to: hoard)

WITHDRAWAL DATE: the date on which a series of M.P.C. was collected at overseas military bases and establishments, and exchanged for the next successive issue. This date will match the issue date for the following series. See: Conversion Day.