NEW BOOK: PAY TO THE ORDER OF VICTORY

Many types of World War II paper money are popular with collectors. A new book by James Downey covers one of the little-appreciated byways­—checks. It turns out that the category checks is itself broad.

The book titled Pay to the Order of Victory: United States Checks in World War II includes a foreword by Fred Schwan. The book is dedicated to the memory of Neil Shafer.

The book introduces each of these areas with text and illustrations—and always of interest to collectors values—for each check type. Many of the checks were issued for very low amounts (one cent in many cases) thus adding interest for collectors.

Some of the types of checks discussed and listed are what you might expect: payment for government purchases or refunds for things like overpayment of income tax and war (or defence) bonds. Other types of check discussed and illustrated are fascinating stories in and of themselves.

Thousands of executives from private industries were hired by the government at one dollar per year. Checks were sent each year for one dollar or less for parts of a year. These checks were accompanied by thank you letters from the government and were nearly always saved by the recipients thus becoming important collectors' items eighty years after the war. Government programs were run soliciting unused automobile tires and binoculars. Both of these programs produced government checks that are now sought by collectors. At the end of the war, thousands of prisoners of war were sent home from the United States. Each former POW carried a government draft covering unpaid earnings from his time as a prisoner. Read about all of these checks and more here.

Here is a partial list of check types: War Department checks, Navy checks, US Navy binocular checks, Coast Guard checks, family allowances checks, furlough subsistence checks, US Army checks on English Banks, armed forces leave bond checks, Army and Navy postal money orders, Philippine bank checks, American Red Cross in India, POW payment orders, ration checks, income tax refund checks, idle tires checks, dollar-a-year man checks, savings bond redemption checks, defense and war bond refund checks, US government operation of Montgomery Ward checks and personal and private business checks.

The full color, large-format 24 page book was released on April 10th at MPCFest in Port Clinton, Ohio. It is available in a printed and digital version. The printed book is available in very limited quantities at $20 (plus $3 postage). The digital version is only $10 for emailed copies or $17 for a mailed thumb drive. Payment is preferred by check (of course!) (address below, shipped immediately upon email reservation).

Reserve your copy at fredschwan@yahoo.com. For USPS payment (and purchase for those inclined to snail mail ordering write BNR Press, 132 E. Second St., Port Clinton, Ohio 43452. For inquiries and other matters contact fredschwan@yahoo.com.

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