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5 Cents Laughlin A.F.B.
| Issuer | Officers' Open Mess, Laughlin Air Force Base |
|---|---|
| Year | 1950-1965 |
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| In circulation to | Yes |
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| Obverse description | Pink paper with black letterpress text divided into two panels: the left panel carries the issuer name and location with a red serial number and the cautionary notice at lower left, while the right panel displays the denomination numeral and unit in a bold bordered box. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | OFFICERS' OPEN MESS LAUGHLIN A. F. B. * TEXAS * NOT GOOD IF DETACHED 5 CENTS |
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| Comments |
Laughlin Air Force Base, situated outside Del Rio in the Texas brush country near the Mexican border, operated as a pilot training installation throughout this period. Officers' mess chits like this one functioned as a closed-loop scrip system — legal only within the mess itself, preventing currency from leaking off-base into the local economy, which was a persistent concern for installations near international crossings.
Pink paper was a deliberate denomination color-coding choice, not a production quirk. The Officers' Open Mess series used color differentiation precisely because the chits changed hands quickly during social functions and bar tabs needed settling without fumbling through identical-looking pieces.