Return-Path: Received: from web5201.mail.yahoo.com ([216.115.106.95]) by runyon.mail.mindspring.net (Mindspring Mail Service) with SMTP id t6koss.hct.37kbi7f for ; Sat, 20 Jan 2001 23:20:44 -0500 (EST) Message-ID: <20010121042043.13981.qmail@web5201.mail.yahoo.com> Received: from [205.188.193.52] by web5201.mail.yahoo.com; Sat, 20 Jan 2001 20:20:43 PST Date: Sat, 20 Jan 2001 20:20:43 -0800 (PST) From: MPCgram Subject: MPC Gram 231 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 231 Sunday 21 January 2001 More on Military Challenge Coins By Howard A. Daniel III Do you remember my recent words here about the Military Challenge Coins? I do not have a copy of it or the date it was published in the MPCGram, but I wrote about them and that we MPCers should have our own. No one responded to my challenge and I am wondering if anyone read it. Did you read it? These "coins" are minted by several companies in the United States and every military service and many other government agencies are represented with "issues." Many high-ranking officers create them with their command's name and patch and other symbols on one side, then their name and/or information about the command and other symbols. Some even have parts of them enameled. When a person around them does a good job or the presenter wants them to remember a particular even, he or she presents one of their "coins." In some units and agencies, they are issued to everyone in it, and everyone is supposed to carry them on their person at ALL times! Their buddies will frequently challenge all of the unit's personnel in a club or bar to see if they are carrying their unit's "coin." Anyone not carrying it has to buy all of the other personnel with it on them a drink. I know many of us old timers no longer drink but we can come up with some other punishment like having to write an article or story for the MPCGram or whatever. I think we MPCers should also have our own Military Challenge Coin! We could have an MPC, a military token, a chit, and one or more other military financial instruments on it; a place for the person's name; the organization's name (do we have one?) and other symbols or words. We can also "issue" it to persons other than those who collect MPC or related material (are there such people?) to recognize their good work in numismatics and to influence them into collecting "our" stuff. It could even be placed in our exhibits! As I am writing this, it is Inauguration Day in Washington, DC. At about 2:45PM as President Bush was about to enter his limo for the Inaugural Parade, the Major General who is the Commander of the Military District of Washington (MDW) and who was escorting him, gave the President what appeared to be a Military Challenge Coin! Then a civilian also gave him something that appeared to be another one! I will try to discover what exactly was given to the President by both men and will start with an email to MDW to see if the commander will directly respond to me. Hopefully, he will also know what the civilian standing next to him gave the President too. I am not sure I will be successful with either men, but I am going to give it the old NCO try. Wish me luck. If any of you have connections to the major network news organizations or your local TV station news department, please see if you can have them make a print or copy of the General and/or civilian handing the President something at around 2:45PM EST. Then send a copy to me. That's it for now. I hope you guys will consider us having a Military Challenge Coin of our own and obtaining a print or videotape for me of the two men giving something to the President. ==================================================== Editorial ---------------------------------------------------- There is not a lot of military stuff here at the Strassburg stock and bond show, but there is always something and I have mananged to spend a little money. Tomorrow I am visiting an old time collector and hope to at least see some interesting things. If I can buy some things, so much the better. On Monday I hope to visit two other collectors. The second is Phil IWANTYOURMPC. Probably we will publish the gram from his place! Stay tuned. ==================================================== Mail Call ---------------------------------------------------- Complaints?? For something that is free and voluntary? If someone has a complaint they should not 'tune' in. The 'gram' and your work in doing it is a wonderful asset to the group of MPC collectors. I, for one, sincerely appreciate your work and the effort that you put into it. Oh, I do realize it is probably a labor of love but still, it is something that I am sure that 99.9% of us in the MPC collecting world look forward to getting every day. For the past 227 days I have been able to read an email that I wanted to read, not just the 'spam' that clutters my screen. Keep the MPC gram as you wish it, answer your letters when you want and let the complainers go away. We won't miss them. Comments, both positive and negative, are useful for us all but complaints.........I don't think so. That's my story and I am sticking to it. Bill McNease Hello Gramsters, I am writing to thank you for affording me the opportunity to purchase the rare copy of the hard bound second edition Military payment Certificates. I say this copy is rare because in my one year of collecting MPC, this is only the second occasion I have to aquire an older edition. The first time the copy was a soft bound second on auction, which I lost. I value the older editions of publications because they give me a coverage of history which I was not yet born to experience. For those of you that lived through the war and experienced MPC, that knowledge you received over the years I can only read about. Even though I can learn in a few months what you took years to amass, I am sure it was more fun to live through. The older editions tell me things like what note was discovered when and how. Rising values, errors, rarities are all there. My library holds not MPC Notes, but MPC history, which is not only equally fun to collect, but an essential part of the hobby. And bargains can be found too. For months I held off buying my copy of WWII Remembered because of the cost. I can put that money in a note I'd say. And then it happened, one day while sifting auctions on Ebay, there she was. I took her home for forty dollars. What a treasure trove of information. As collecting goes on, my next goal is a first edition of Military Payment Certificates. Wish me luck... James Rose =================================================== 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. These folks have generously provided money or material to finance scholarships to the ANA WWII Numismatics seminar. Your contributions will help promote collecting WWII material and be greatly appreciated. Mike Cummings Ed B. Doug Bell R. A. Medina Harold MPCKid Kroll Leo "Paymaster" May Bill McNease Marcus Turner Larry Ski Fred PK6 Joel Shafer World Wide Ventures 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. Confirmed participants in MPC Fest II Doug Bell Bill McNease Harold Kroll Larry Smulczenski Leo May Marcus Turner Kevin Maloy Marv Mericle Bruce Potter Nick Shrier Fred Schwan Dan Swartz (the next reservation puts us past last year's participation) If you have made a reservation and your name does not appear above, please contact the gram immediately (MPCgram@yahoo.com). Tentative schedule as of 15 January 2001 Friday March 8 1500-1900 Arrivals at Comfort Inn 1900-2030 no host dinner at Cisco and Charlies 2030-2300 bull session at Comfort Inn 2400 lights out Saturday breakfast at Comfort Inn 0730-0845 breakfast at Service Club 0900-1000 equipment issue (supply sergeant) 1000-1100 pay operations (pay master) 1100-1230 show and tell, session I 1230-1330 pizza party at Service Club (mess sergeant) 1330-1800 swap session (dealer surcharge, TBD) 1800-1930 spaghetti dinner at Service Club (mess sergeant) 1930-2030 secret operations 2000-2345 commemorative poker game at Comfort Inn 2200 MPC chat (simultaneous with poker game) 2400 lights out Sunday 0830-0900 breakfast at Service Club 0900-1000 research updates 1000-1230 show and tell 1230-1330 lunch at Service Club 1300-1500 field trip to WWII POW camp 1530 closing ceremonies Monday (optional, weather permitting) 0600-0630 breakfast at Service Club 0700-1400 Walleye fishing trip Remarks: registration is $139 per person. This includes two nights lodging (double occupancy, room assignments by first sergeant the only possible exception is married couples), Meals as indicated (Friday evening not included), equipment and amenities. The value of souvenirs and goodies distributed will likely exceed the cost of the entire Fest. Reservations accepted now at MPCGram@yahoo.com, deposits ($50 minimum) accepted at MPC Fest, 132 East Second Street, Port Clinton, Ohio 43452. Late registration surcharges: after February 15 $25, after March 1 $50. Confirmed reservations will be listed daily in the gram—make your reservations now! Additional information; the Comfort Inn is located at 1723 East Perry Street, Port Clinton, Oh 43452, you may use one of the online map services to get exact driving directions. DO NOT make your own reservations or inquiries. The best airports in order of distance are Toledo (45 mins), Cleveland (90 mins), Detroit (100 mins). We will try to coordinate ground transportation, but there are no guarantees here. Questions: send your questions to MPCgram@yahoo.com. In most cases the questions will be answered in the letters section of the gram. After all, if you have the question, someone else probably does too. ==================================================== 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. MPC Series 471 $5 vf-ef $1750. Ian Marshall, please e-mail for confirmation. iam@total.net. MPC series 591c gem unc $75 confirm at coinman@rochester.rr.com. MPC Series 611 5c gem CU $20. Confirm 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! 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