Return-Path: Received: from web5205.mail.yahoo.com ([216.115.106.86]) by farley.mail.mindspring.net (Mindspring Mail Service) with SMTP id t48hi9.u8.37kbi1c for ; Sat, 23 Dec 2000 01:29:29 -0500 (EST) Message-ID: <20001223062928.28175.qmail@web5205.mail.yahoo.com> Received: from [152.163.206.187] by web5205.mail.yahoo.com; Fri, 22 Dec 2000 22:29:28 PST Date: Fri, 22 Dec 2000 22:29:28 -0800 (PST) From: MPCgram Subject: MPC Gram 204 To: mpcgram@yahoo.com MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii ==================================================== MPC Gram ==================================================== Covering the Entire World of Military Numismatics ---------------------------------------------------- Series 002-Number 204 Saturday - 23 December 2000 More RVN MPC Recollections Howard A. Daniel, III I served in Viet Nam from January 1966 to August 1970 and December 1971 to January 1973. I was already an MPC collector and set aside CU versions of most certificates, and some replacements for my collection, while they were still circulating. But I also added many of them to my collection after conversion day (C-Day) when I could buy them for ten cents or so on the dollar at my favorite bars and houses of ill repute. The bar and house owners could not convert them and usually threw them away after a week or two of trying to find someone to find a way to convert them. All of my "extra" high-grade certificates during those years were sent to a dealer with the last name of Wilson in the upper Midwest. I cannot remember more about him, and I am away from my files right now, so this is all I can give to you about him at this time. I am sure some of the older folks remember him. I sold the certificates to him at twenty-five cents on the dollar and he was VERY happy to receive any and all I could send to him. During my tours I was often a "piastre conversion officer" at the pay table and converted MPC to piastres. It was supposed to be dong instead of piastres, but I could not convince the Finance Officer about it because it was in his rules and regulations. The troops were often upset with my slow conversion process because I was always looking for good dong notes and MPC replacements. Numismatics was not on their minds when they wanted local money! During the time the Series 692 was circulating, I can remember visiting a nearby American Express on MACV Annex two or three times a week to acquire a CU $5.00 certificate. It was amazing to me that I never found one before I departed in January 1973. This was also a tough certificate to find in circulation and I never saw a CU in Vietnam! Things got a little busy just before my departure, and I forgot to save one in any condition, so I had to add one to my collection after the price was quite high, and I am still looking for the "right" CU to complete my collection. Many years later after the war, while on vacation in Florida, I ran into an old acquaintance friend of mine from Saigon who was a major player in the black market. He did VERY well in the black market and made enough to never have to work another day after the war, but he has started several legal businesses and is now doing well in them too. Somehow we started talking about MPCs, and I mentioned how I sold "old" CU MPC to a dealer in the States for twenty-five cents on the dollar. He exploded!! He was often stuck with several hundreds of thousands of dollars in MPC after C-Days. He went nuts that he did not know there was an outlet for them at any price. He said I should have told him. I told him that drinking a beer with him and being connected to him in any way where he was make money from my advice in his illegal activities, would end my work in a very sensitive area, and likely end my military career. He said I was doing something illegal too, but I was not. I did check the regulations surrounding MPC and mailing "old" MPC back to the States and there was absolutely nothing illegal about it. He was so mad at me, he told me to never talk to him again and he stomped off. I hope the above is a little bit of interesting old MPC lore for the troops to read. ==================================================== Editorial ---------------------------------------------------- Open letter to Howard Daniel Dear Howard, That is a great article above. I am quite sure that the dealer was Jim Wilson who was one of the great pack rats of all times. I am quite sure that he died quite a few years ago and his inventory was sold, but I cannot remember any of the details. I think that Ian Marshall told me a story about visiting this fellow in the extreme wilderness of Wisconsin. Ian told of having to use snow shoes, fighting off hungry wolves and attacking moose to get to the fellow. However, he might have been exaggerating or I might have remembered it wrong! Hopefully, this will get Ian to tell that story. I would like to use your story for the MPC book along with some other personal tales. I can use it more or less as it is or you can revise it regarding Jim Wilson and or some of the following comments. I think that you may have overstated your case about your innocence with your friend. I was in Vietnam 1971-1972. We had plenty of unc 692 $5s, but I was too stupid to bring any home (you and I made a fine pair!). Later from the United States, I decided that I wanted some 692s and asked an old school chum (more than a chum, I was best man in his wedding) to send me a BUNDLE of each. He procrastinated but attempted to bring me a bundle of each instead of mailing them. I will save the details for another time, but he was found with the bundles and an over zealous military policeman seized them. Eventually the MPC was converted for him, but I did not get my MPC. Those bundles were my retirement fund! As a result of the above, I researched the regulations rather thoroughly which I why I challenged your statement. I am sorry that I do not have a 1973 copy of the MPC regulation, but in the current MPC book we have the 1970 version that was probably in force at the time. The regulation is on page 238 of the book. I will not comment on my interpretations of the regulation and your actions as described above in the hope that you will comment! Howard, do not misunderstand me. I am sure that I would have done the same as you did and felt equally pure. This is meant as a mind game. Finally, I ask you to become a gram columnist. Most of the stories that you have written for World Coin News could be modified just enough to emphasize the military money parts and would be great for the gram. Heck, you could probably just tell us that you modified them and we would never know (but would still enjoy). In either case you would get nice recycling out of your work! I have been trying to think of a cute name to call your column or the day in which it appears, but I cannot. Possibly you can fill that blank in too, or, better yet, we can get help from readers. Well, I sure have thrown out a lot here. I hope that there was something of interest, and I certainly look forward to your future contributions either as a columnist on irregular contributor. Fred ==================================================== Mail Call ---------------------------------------------------- Hello Fred, Just to add to your number work- do you know the book by Michael Schone on the money of occupied Germany 1945-49? Anyway he has a 50c Series 461 replacement illustrated on p. 199- serial no. is A00032102, pos. 5, and looks to be in VG or so grade. Just in case you overlooked it... Neil S. Do I laugh or cry?! Ok, thanks. Fred Dear Editor, Belated thanks for signing me up for the MPCgram. I hope to be able to contribute something every now and then. Pearl Harbor and/or Navy veterans may be interested in a neat certificate I picked up at a flea market last week for the grand sum of $4.00 (including the frame): http://www.kenbarr.com/JPGS/phny.jpg http://www/kenbarr.com/JPGS/phctr.jpg If the Gram advertising permits mentions of eBay offerings, I'd appreciate a pointer to my sales closing Thursday 12/21: eleven lots, starting bids $5 to $200+, including a low-end 471 $5 and a choice 651 $10. eBay seller id "ken@kenbarr.com". Dear Ken, Thanks for the comments and the links. Gram advertising does not allow pointing to ebay (or other sales because we want you to sell here in the gram), but we were going to make an attempt at humor by denying your request while we were pointing it out, but then I noticed that the sales have closed so the joke is on us! However, you did get a little plug for your seller name. We really would like to have some of you material for sale here in the gram. The best way is to send a list of items in (not attached to) an email. We will then run them as space allows as they say (we always have space, but do not always have energy!) Editor ==================================================== Departments --------------------------------------------------- WWII numismatics seminar at ANA Summer Seminar 2001 --------------------------------------------------- Not only does the scholarship fund have an official identity but also has a bank account! Any further donations should be paid to the order of "Military Numismatists Scholarship" and sent to: Military Numismatists c/o Marcus Turner 8103 East US Highway 36 Suite 163 Avon, IN 46123 THE UPDATED LIST OF SCHOLARSHIP BENEFACTORS 11/22/00 Mike Cummings Ed B. Doug Bell R. A. Medina Harold MPCKid Kroll Bill McNese Marcus Turner Larry Ski Fred PK6 Joel Shafer World Wide Ventrues John & Nancy Wilson Neil Shafer ----------------------------------------------------- MPC Fest II ----------------------------------------------------- MPC Fest is the annual feast of MPC. After some difficulties of coordination we have not changed the dates and tentatively scheduled 9-11 March 2001 for MPC Fest II. If these dates cause a problem, please write the gram immediately. ==================================================== 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. 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. Chit booklet from HQ II FFV Officers' Open Mess-APO San Francisco 96266, 25/12/68, $2 booklet (cover) with one each 5, 10, and 25c chits, $35, Ian Marshall, confirm at iam@total.net. MPC Series 461 5c CU, $65, David Seelye, coinman@rochester.rr.com. Nice uncirculated MPC series 611 $1, $111. Confirm at fred@papermoneyworld.com. ============================================== Staff: publisher and editor: Fred Schwan - fred@papermoneyworld.com; assistant editor - Phil Goldstein critic: Harold Kroll - MPCKid@papermoneyworld.com; index manager: Ed Beaman webmaster & technical advisor: Doug Bell - (Wiz): doug@papermoneyworld.com; 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!? Yahoo! Shopping - Thousands of Stores. Millions of Products. http://shopping.yahoo.com/