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5 Cents Military Payment Certificate
| Issuer | United States Military Payment Certificate |
|---|---|
| Year | 1947-1948 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 5 Cents (0.05) |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Size | Log in to see details |
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| Printer | Log in to see details |
| Designer(s) | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Pink and light blue letterpress reverse with an ornate guilloche underprint filling the upper field, bearing the restrictive use legend in red. The lower register contains a horizontal band with a central circular vignette of the United States Great Seal eagle amid elaborate scrollwork, flanked by decorative corner panels. |
| Reverse lettering | MILITARY PAYMENT CERTIFICATE FOR USE ONLY IN UNITED STATES MILITARY ESTABLISHMENTS BY UNITED STATES AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE RULES AND REGULATIONS. |
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| Comments |
Military Payment Certificates were introduced in September 1946 to replace the use of U.S. dollars by American military personnel abroad, specifically to suppress black market activity in occupied territories where greenbacks commanded a significant premium. Series 461 — the first MPC series — was issued from that month and replaced in March 1948, a deliberately short circulation window that was itself a feature of the system: periodic surprise "conversion days" rendered old series worthless overnight, trapping anyone holding them illegally.
Forbes Lithograph, a Boston commercial printer with substantial government contract experience, handled production of the entire Series 461. The 5-cent denomination saw the heaviest transactional use and consequently survives in high grade far less often than the larger values.