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50 Cents USAFRS Mess
| Issuer | United States Air Force Mess |
|---|---|
| Year | 1960-1979 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Size | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Rectangular |
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| Designer(s) | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Green paper voucher with black letterpress text; inscription 'U S A T R S MESS' at upper left with a cancellation perfin pattern across the centre. A red serial number appears below the perfin. The denomination '50 CENTS' is set in a bold black box at right, with the cautionary legend 'NOT GOOD IF DETACHED' at lower left. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
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| Protection type | Log in to see details |
| Protection description | A pattern of punched holes (perfin) applied across the face of the voucher as a cancellation or control device. |
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| Comments |
Air Force mess chits occupy a genuinely odd corner of military scrip collecting. These were internal tokens of account — not legal tender, not official military payment certificates — issued by individual base messes to control food and beverage purchases within a specific dining facility. The issuing authority here was the mess itself, not a centralized command, which means denominations, designs, and security measures varied considerably from installation to installation and could change whenever the base finance officer decided.
The perfin is the notable feature: a mechanical hole-punch pattern borrowed from commercial banking practice, intended to prevent chits from one mess being passed at another. It worked imperfectly.