No Cents and US Military Bases Overseas

Can't recall this ever being broached in the past here, but I may be wrong. When I was in Germany/Europe in the early 80s one coin which was absent from the cash-registers, banks, and pockets on US Military Bases was the US 1 Cent. Additionally, there were LOTS of $2 Dollar Bills as well in circulation. I remember there were slot machines in all the NCO clubs. My wife had me on a monthly allowance for good reason, LOL...

Even when in Saudi Arabia (off and on) from 1991-1995 and 2000/2001 I also recall the US Cents obvious absence. Pretty efficient in simply rounding your change to the nearest nickel.

Any more memories on the missing Pennies/Cents at Overseas US Military Installations???

Take Care
Ben

 

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I was in Iraq 2005 - 2006, and in Kuwait off and on. Still no pennies, and actually they completely quit giving out actual change. Instead they give out "pogs" cardboard coins. 25, 10, 5 . They don't bother making a 1c peice.
This pogs are only redeemable in AAFES locations.
I returned home with tons of them... completely useless because the AAFES locations in the states basically tell you they don't accept them. kind of a big controversy. It may be solved by now... I'll have to check on that.

 

They don't have change in the brig.

 

I collect the pogs, actually another collector that was in Iraq at the time sent me a large handful of them.

 

I was thinking along those lines when I read this.
You're probably ahead of the game. MPCs are heavily collected why not Pogs?

 

Note to self: You already collect tooooo many things.hya:

 

Well Drats, I punched out before the POG era. Although, I have some Desert Shield BaseBall cards from 1991 -- glad I held onto them too.

 

MPC's -stay away. I got bitten by that bug back when I was a military brat in my youth, and a whole bunch of them came back from the 'Nam, seems as though my paternal unit was out in the field on assignment during C-day, so I have a handful still from then. I like them because of all the gorgeous babeage they put on them.

 

On the other hand, during the Korean "Police Action" real copper cents were used on overseas military bases, along with the Military Payment Certificates ("MPC") from 5¢ up.

 

I was stationed in Libya and French Morocco during 1955-1956. We still used cents then, but that changed while I was there. The reason was that it was too inefficient to handle them and too costly to ship them. Most GI's just let them accumulate in their lockers until they rotated and then cashed them in at finance when they exchanged their "floose" (nickname for local currency) and MPC's for "green". Finance hated those damn cents.

Prices in the BX were listed in the old regular manner and rung up the same way, but were then rounded either up or down to the nearest 5 cents. I seem to recall that it was the theater practice to round dowwn, but memory is hazy.

Paul Garner
The Old Sarge

 

When I was in Korea there were quarters, dimes, and nickels, but no cents. When I started deploying there were pogs, which technically are a gift certificate, but even that is shaky ground. Now less than two years later, pogs and cold hard cash are being phased out for a thing called eagle cash. Like a prepaid debit card you take to finance and load money from your bank account on to it. Then when you're ready to go home you just unload the card. It's no fun, much less stuff to collect. Here is a link so as you can see what its all about. http://www.fms.treas.gov/eaglecash/index.html

 

Some of my MPC collection, more to be loaded later this week.

http://www.geocities.com/scottishmoney/banknotes/usa/usampc.html

I have to image my pogs with pretty girls on them, yes, there actually are some. There is one is some female soldier, that might actually be worth joining the military for

 

Reading the stream of emails regarding the POGS ! They are very quiet useful and they are redeemable at any AAFES.. stateside or abroad... If you get a Negative response from the cashier, ask to speak to their manager... Also, AAFES HdQtrs in Dallas said , Send them the Pogs , they will cut you a check !!!
or you could send them to me and I will be more then happy to give you 2X the face value...
I have been collecting Pogs since my first trip to Qatar in 2005.. I am trying to put together 3 sets for my daughters.... Once I have those sets completed , all proceeds left over will be donated to charities supporting our freedom fighters !!!! >>>>

Tracy

Ret SFC Ibberson
U S Army

 

RHOGGMAN>> Time to unload those TONS of Pogs ! Here is a chance to double your money !! Cant do that at any bank ...... Lets talk soon !!!!

Tracy
US ARMY Ret,

 

Lets check out those pogs you have ! I am looking to complete my sets. Need 2005 dated and older .... Thanks !

 

Have any pictures of them?

 

Yeah, I'd like to see the stuff you guys are talking about.

 

You asked for it!

Here are mine:









Here's an image showing the various types of military money from the end of the Civil War to present. Missing is an Eagle Card...I should try to find mine, I think it still has a couple dollars on it.

 

Here are a few Photos .....

 

Oh, we still don't use cents overseas. Even in non-combat zones.