Fest Auction
By Dave Frank, auctioneer
There is less than 4 weeks to consign lots for the MPC Fest 2026 auction to be held at the Fest on Sunday April 12th. The success of the auction depends on consignments and I am looking for them now. Basically, you may submit as many lots as you want, there is no seller's fee. Lots can be submitted for sale or as a donation to the Fest scholarship fund. Remember that the money raised from donated lots fund the scholarships to send interested collectors to the Military Numismatics course at the ANA Summer Seminar in Colorado Springs. The Military Numismatics course will be offered this year, and it's important to raise funds to send as many interested people as we can. I will not be able to attend the Fest this year but will still be setting up the auction catalog, Roger Urce will actually be running the auction. I would appreciate it if you would send me a description of the lot with the minimum bid and designate whether it is to be a donated lot or one you wish to sell. Then please bring the lot with you to the Fest and Roger will collect them on Thursday or Friday of the Fest. If you are not coming to the Fest, but wish to submit lots, please contact me and I will provide further instructions. I really need the lot information sent to me no later than one week prior to the Fest so that I can produce a catalog that will appear in the Gram and it can be included in the packet for distribution at the Fest. My contact email and cell are dave@frankcomputers.com and 314-602-4228. Thanks, and let's have another successful auction.
Stamp Show Finds
The most important find at the show was the above cover. Covers with the Nazi hand stamps are always interesting, but I would not buy one for that reason. Next on the interest scale is the fact that the envelope was mailed to and from Vienna via accountable mail as indicated by the red sticker. Interesting, yes, but still not enough to make me buy it. That honor goes to what was IN the envelope. Sadly, not the contents in 2026, but the contents in 1939.
When mailed the envelope included 200 RM in Steuergutschine (SGS)! These "tax notes" were first introduced to collectors in 1995 in World War II Remembered. Harold Kroll greatly expanded the listings for SGS in his catalog of Nazi "stuff." I bought it for Harold, but I will be happy to keep in in my collection if he does not want it. I have it set aside to offer it to him at the Fest (I love saving postage)!
There is even less justification for purchasing the next item. It is a check sent from St. John's, Newfoundland to New York City in January 1946. I wish that it had been issued a few months earlier to fit perfectly in my WWII check collection. Still, its date is close enough to the end of the war to assume that a similar transaction could have taken place during the war. The check (draft?) was on the Royal Bank of Canada for $3500 in USA funds and was payable at sight!
The back of the check is interesting too. The most obvious and interesting thing is the twelve stamps. The four red/orange stamps are 5 cents each Newfoundland revenue stamps. Newfoundland required a tax be paid on each check made out in Newfoundland. I do not know the details of the tax rate. Presumably four stamps were required because of the high amount of the check. The eight additional stamps are for postage. Again, my knowledge is weak, but $1.75 seems like a lot for 1946 (or even 2026) postage. The fact that the stamps are applied to the back of the check rather than on an envelope seems to indicate that that is how the check was sent.
Editorial
The Garfield-Perry stamp show that I have been telling you about was fun, and an adventure too! I arrived right on time without difficulty. It was a few minutes after 1000 for an opening of 1000.
It did not look good as I approached the entrance. People were milling around the door. As I got closer the problem became apparent, the power was out. Yep, that was the situation. It had gone out at about 0945. I found a seat in the hallway and waited.
The good news was that I got to chat with the two fellows next to me. They are both serious stamp collectors. The most interesting part of the conversation was that they had both taken over the collections of their fathers when he died.
The power came on at about 1230. We rushed in to find a large (for local stamp shows) bourse with a robust crowd and a large competitive exhibition. I could not resist. I studied the exhibition first. There was only one with a strong military connection. I took pictures of the introduction. I will try to make a report thereon after I study the info.
Next I shopped. I had not found anything when I settled at the table of Denny Peoples of Indianapolis. I have purchased many things from Denny over the years. As always he has lots of smalls. Many hundred, possibly thousands of interesting little things.
I was going through a long box of his smalls about 3pm when the lights went out again! Ugh. The woman sitting next to me and I took out our smart phones, propped them up and kept digging. She found more than I did, but I bought the above "Bataan War Prisoners Relief of Illinois 1945" stickers. My justification for including this item in my numismatic collection is that it had to do with raising money for war victims. Additionally as I mention from time to time, everything to do with Bataan and combat in the Philippines in general is of particular interest around here because Company C of the 192 Tank Battalion was from Port Clinton. Only ten survived the war. One of those was a scout leader when I was a Boy Scout.
Mail Call
The MPCGram welcomes letters from readers. Letters should be relevant to military numismatics. Letters may be edited. Senders must be known to the Gram and names (actual or "Internet") will be used.
Dear Editor,
I am getting excited about the Fest. Please, everyone bring me your MPC dregs. The worse they are the better. Like magic turn your rags to cash. I will also have an album of notes for swaps.
— MPC Wizzard MPCWIZZARD@yahoo.com
Dear Wiz,
I look forward to seeing you soon. I hope you find some treasures.
— Editor
Training Schedule (calendar)
2026
In this section, the MPGram lists events that are likely to be of special interest to collectors who are interested in MPC and other type of military numismatic items. We do not list "routine" coin shows where a collector might find a few items by chance. However, if we know that some Festers or Gramsters will be there we will list that same show in the hope of promoting fellowship. Send us your reports.
Garfield Perry stamp show, Strongsville, Ohio March 10-13 (Fred attending on Friday) MSNS -- 17-19 Apr, Oakland Expo Center, Waterford MI
MPCFest 2026 10-12 April 2026
Traditionally, spring is the time when armies begin thinking about campaigning. As we look past winter into spring, the annual "campaign" of MPC Fest approaches. Fest is the premier event of the year for those who collect Military Payment Certificates or any other form of military currency. For those who have not attended, Fest is a combination of educational presentations, a hard-fought military numismatic trivia contest, the annual Dining-In, and above all, fellowship with other military collectors, and of course -- poker. What would a military event be without poker? And to build your collection, it begins with an open-to-the public bourse on Friday and ends with an auction on Sunday. It is an event not to be missed for anyone with any interest in military currency. Dates for Fest 2026 are Friday, 10 April 2026 through Sunday, 12 April 2026. Location is Camp Leo May, aka the Holiday Inn Express, 50 NE Catawba Rd, Port Clinton, OH, 43452. Register by calling 419-732-7322. Don't miss this unique event. Oorah!
Call to Convention
Ray Feller
Hello everyone! It is time to ready your staff briefings for this year's Fest! It will be very hard to have a Fest without my dad, but he was extremely proud of how much the Fest focuses on education, and I intend to continue ensuring that the programs continue to be strong.
If you are interested in participating but have any questions at all, feel free to reach out to me at ray.feller@gmail.com.
Please fill out this interest form to help us organize accordingly.
Georgia Numismatic Assn Show 17-19 Apr, Dalton -- Festers attending Central States - 22-25 April Netherlands world paper money show 1-3 May ANA Summer Seminar (Boling counterfeit paper course): 20-25 Jun ANA Summer Seminar (WWII course): 27 Jun-2 July ANA World's Fair of Money® - 25-29 Aug, Pittsburgh
Please help us fill in the dates for events listed and give us any additional events that might conflict. Thank you very much.
MPCFest sponsors
Joe and Louise Boling, Mike Buckley, Steve Fahrlander, Ray Feller family, Dave Frank, Loretta Freyser, Al Glaser, Jennifer and Eric Kibbey (dba Camelot Coins), Harold Kroll, Bill Myers and Warner Talso.
MPCFest is possible because of the generous support of its sponsors.
Gram Exchange
Do you have something for sale (or trade)? Are you looking for something for your collection? You can offer items here in the Gram or list specific items that you need.
FOR SALE
Send your text and images (!) to the editor for inclusion in the Gram Exchange. Please send the images in jpeg format with each image in a separate file.
List your items for sale here for FREE
Fifth edition of the standard MPC reference book the Comprehensive Catalog of Military Payment Certificates by Schwan and Smulczenski. Now full color and packed with great information. $75 postpaid. No waiting--the fastest service possible. Send your snail mail address via email and we will send your book with an invoice. The digital version of Comprehensive Catalog of Military Payment Certificates after some delay is now shipping at $40. Send to fredschwan@yahoo.com.
WANTED
Wanted to Buy [WTB] / In Search of [ISO] $10 Series 1934A North Africa silver certificate with the altered blue seal discussed in October 2022 MPCGram by Larry Smulczenski (Saturski #13) and covered in May/June 2008 SPMC article written by Peter Huntoon and Jim Downey. Please contact Andy Conroy (andyqconroy@gmail.com)