US Military Payment Certificate

[rra227]

Those are nice. Rich A. in Pa.

[Chopperman]

As a kid, I found several pieces of MPC. I'll have to look and see if I still
have them.

[Watchdog]

I had never thought about that aspect of the currency and how it worked. Very neat!

Yep, British Occupation Currency was re-issued in new series for exactly the same reason but the typical British way of doing these things is to say " new series blah blah..... all personnel to exchange any existing notes in their posession at the pay office by... date... so that you would have a grace period (normal practice with these things is about 14 days usually) in which to sort your life out! Then if you missed it there was no saying "I couldn't get there on the day"

Regards

Mark

[Rakkasan187]

LH,

Those are nice examples of the Lire and Marks.. These are often overlooked but can be considered a subcategory of the MPC. As I am sure you know there is also the Japanese currency similar to the German Mark and the French Invasion Francs similar to the Italian Lire...

The Japanese currency is another area that branches into their occupation currency for the areas they occupied, Dutch East Indies, Philippines, and other areas and this is also fairly easy to find and rather inexpensive. I believe a stamp company in New England years ago had packets of the Japanese occupation currency that you could purchase for a few dollars.

There is also the guerilla currency made by Filipino's in various areas of the Islands during the Japanese Occupation. Some of this currency (in pesos) was printed on brown paper lunch sacks and used amongst the different guerilla groups hiding in the mountains fighting the war against the Japanese. I have a piece of that currency that I will post here later. There was a book written about the Philippine Guerillas by an American I believe who was fighting with them. He escaped Corregidor or Bataan, I can't recall which but he mentions in the book about the currency they made using the brown lunch bag paper material...

The British Currency is great. I have a few of these as well...

Well done..

Smitty

[Rakkasan187]

Mark,

I recall my father telling me about "C-Day".. He was with the 7th Infantry Division in Korea in the pay section but he would often go up to the front lines and take care of any pay issues there as well as collect and redistribute MPC up on the line...

After the old series MPC was collected it was supposed to be burned to further prevent counterfeiting efforts but many Soldiers held onto some as souvenirs, some wrote names and address on them and some just simply forgot and didn't have the chance to turn in their MPC..

Dad said that the GIs were able to find uses for the useless scrip though since they couldn't exchange it..

On a separate note,,, Mark, so do you recall the British PX in Berlin? I went there once with another US Soldier. If I recall it was on the second story of a building and it was a little small, but the reason I went there was because the British Soldiers had small PEAK stoves that burned blue gas and my unit was getting ready to head to the field and I thought it would be neat to have a PEAK stove when we were setting up in Ruhleben fighting City in the defense to have some hot coffee and Ramen... I can't recall but I think I paid for it either in Deutsch Marks or US Dollars...Don't remember, but that was one of the best purchases and I still have that stove today.. Small and easy to carry in my rucksack or use when the power goes out...

Good times we had in Berlin,, wouldn't you agree???

Smitty

[Watchdog]

On a separate note,,, Mark, so do you recall the British PX in Berlin? I went there once with another US Soldier. If I recall it was on the second story of a building and it was a little small, but the reason I went there was because the British Soldiers had small PEAK stoves that burned blue gas and my unit was getting ready to head to the field and I thought it would be neat to have a PEAK stove when we were setting up in Ruhleben fighting City in the defense to have some hot coffee and Ramen... I can't recall but I think I paid for it either in Deutsch Marks or US Dollars...Don't remember, but that was one of the best purchases and I still have that stove today.. Small and easy to carry in my rucksack or use when the power goes out...

Good times we had in Berlin,, wouldn't you agree???

Smitty

Oh yes, that was the NAAFI (Pretty much the same as US Px.the Navy, Army Air-forces Institues but we used to say it stood for "No Ambition and F***-all Interest!!) in Summit House on Theodor Heuss Platz (formerly Adolf Hitler Platz). I used to live about 500m from there in Soorstr.

Those little stoves were great and they fit perfectly into the '58 ammo pouch on the front right (mags were in the front left), I still have a couple that I use to teach my grand kids how to cook with no kitchen and just a mess tin!

You could have paid in either DM or $US as they accepted both (we were paid in DM).

Yes I loved my time in the "Grosstadt" as it was known then (I think that might have been a euphemism because they couldn't call it Hauptstadt as the East Germans did). Everything about it was so atmospheric and my job entailed dealing with the Soviets and getting into arguments with the Grenztruppen.
Ruhleben Fighting city was a blast too but I was always more interested in the old pre-WWI German training bunkers that remained on site than I really should have been.
Also, during my time there was the end of Hess and the discovery of all the chemical nasties that the Soviets had dumped down the well in Spandau Citadel when they captured the old Wehrmacht chemical warfare laboratory.

Thanks for the memories! I could rabbit on for ages about it but we will get the finger from on high for veering off topic. We should start a thread perhaps?

Best wishes Alte Genosse

Mark

[LoyalHistorian]

Smitty,

Yes! I have some of the WWII Japanese Yen and the French Invasion Francs. Some I've bought and then many were bring-backs from my grandfather and great-uncle. I also have a whole lot of the Japanese Occupation currency, mostly the Philippines notes. About 40 of those were given to me by a veteran's wife years ago. I got a Malayan occupation note not long ago, too. The Japanaese Occupation currency really is a whole other world of military currency being opened up to me. I had only recently read about the Philippine Guerilla notes myself, and would really like to own some. I like the whole idea of them, being subversive to the occupying Japanese as a form of resistance. Thank you for telling me about some being printed on brown paper bags! I had not heard that before. I would post more pictures of my currency collection if I could, but as I mentioned I can't find hide-nor-hair of my currency albums right now. No telling what box I put them in. Only currency I've bought the last couple years can I find right now.

Thanks,
Robyn

[Rakkasan187]

Robyn,

I fully understand about misplacing items.. I have about 300 footlockers and 1200 tote tubs full of equipment, gear, uniforms.. so each time I open one it is like Christmas..

It's time to sell and downsize....But too hot here in SW Texas to go to storage, even if it is temperature controlled....

Smitty

[LoyalHistorian]

Smitty,

Wow! That's a lot more than me. I only have one room full of boxed-up items. But, yes, it is like Christmas getting to open them up. I was saying that to my husband yesterday as I was pulling things out. I understand hot, I live in SE Texas near Beaumont! So, hello, neighbor!

Thanks for sharing your collection with us and your knowledge. I've learned a lot on this thread!

-Robyn

[Chopperman]

I have about 300 footlockers and 1200 tote tubs full of equipment, gear, uniforms..