Some days it just pays to come to work

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Someone please remind me to put my mind in gear before operating my typing fingers!

It's the earlier coins that were reeded, not the later ones. I knew that - just mentally transposed. Actually there was a good reason for the change.

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Learned something new again - thanks for the clarification and lesson :smile

 

OPA's

Three red tokens came with this group of coins. Just figured out what they are: (Barrowed from this web site http://www.fantasticprices.com/token/Tokens.html)

OPA
Tokens used for rationing during World War II
There are 30 different red tokens and 24 blue ones.
They are all celluloid and 16mm in size.
Blue ones read: OPA Blue Point 1 (with two different letters)
Red ones read: OPA Red Point 1 (with two different letters)​

BRIEF HISTORY

• OPA stands for Office of Price Administration
• First issued in 1944
• Stopped being issued in 1945
• Used to ration retail items during the end of WWII. The items rationed included canned goods, meats, sugar, coffee, tires, gas and more.
• Nobody has found a true reason for the letters on the OPA's. Theories include, they are random; demographics; and prevention of counterfitting.
• Red letter combinations known. HC, HT, MV, MM, TH, TY, UC, UH, UT, UV, UX, UY, VC, VH, VT, VU, VX, VY, XC, XH, XT, XU, XV, XY, YC, YH, YT, YU, YV, YX.
• Blue letter combinations known. CC, CH, CT, CV, CX, HH, HU, HV, HX, HY, TC, TT, TU, TV, TX, UU, VV, WC, WH, WT, WU, WW, XX, YY
• The rarest is the red MV. The next rarest are the red MM and the blue WW, WC, WH. Then blue WU, HX and red YC, XC. The rest are fairly easy to find. Reds are a lot more common than blues.
• Error OPAs are worth a little more.

 

As recently as the the 1980's Freedom Of Information requests about the checkletters were denied "For reasons of National Security"

I suspect the reason for the rarity of the MM and MV is because I don't think they were supposed to exist. I think they were a production error. They are the only two varieties that contain an M. Also they don't fit in with the rest of the check letter patterns. ALL of the double letter tokens are blue tokens, except the MM. In the W series of blue tokens there is one missing, the WV. I suspect that when they started printing those runs they errored and got the W upside down and selected the M for the press creating the MM which was quickly corrected to WW, and the MV for the WV which was not corrected and most of the run scrapped. Of course that leaves open the question of if they were supposed to be W runs, why were they printed on red stock instead of blue?

 

Stopped by a local dealer today for supplies and my son picked out a blue and red one out of their treasure chest for kids. I think the dealer was a little surprised my soon-to-be 7 year-old son knew what they were.

 

That is so cool!!! What a great way to start a day!!

 

Roy .

You do just fine we need a reminder to thank you for all help you give us.

Bruce.

 

Wow, I wish I would have co-workers at my job that would offer or give me coins. Thats a very nice lot of coins you have there.

 

Exactly! A wealth of information and a unwavering focus on the subject - all good and MUCH appreciated!!! That goes for the rest of the moderators too!!! Thanks

 

It was a good lift on Friday to say the least! He was VERY happy with the Jameson he received after I came back from lunch and offered to bring me more if this is what he would get in return.

I had a great weekend spending some time looking at them.