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 Replies: 11 / Views: 3,007 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1234 Posts |
 I have no idea where I got this one from but it is most likely the most interesting piece in my collection... I have no idea how old it is either, just that it has been well loved.   It tells a story that I can not read. There are at least eight signatures. I can make out Frank J. Scotto and Arthur R. Lagull (maybe, not sure, that one is ripped) the rest are faded or over images. I can read James and Homer but not the last names for them. Being a Korean 1000 Won I'm guessing something to do with the Korean War. (even if it is a later issue note, there are still US troops there, last I knew) Is this some sort of a Tontine like "The Curse of the Flying Hellfish"? Or just some kind of going home present? Those are the best ideas I have, any others come to mind? Can anyone tell what the year of issue is on this one. Also is 1000 Won more like a dime for buying power or a $100 bill? Now I'm going to ask the 'Un-possible', If anyone out there can prove they signed the note I will return it to them free of charge, I just want to know the story. I know we have some old fogies here but I'm betting none of you are or have ever heard of Homer or James or Arthur or Frank or the others. I'm sure it will sit in my collection as the biggest question mark of all, but that is OK, it only means the search continues  Edited by ASLAN TVorlon
01/31/2014 01:11 am
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Pillar of the Community
Thailand
1509 Posts |
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Moderator
 Australia
16810 Posts |
Quote:
Also is 1000 Won more like a dime for buying power or a $100 bill? At the time the note was issued (1950), there were 1800 won to a US dollar, so 1000 won was worth slightly more than a half-dollar. South Korea, of course, has had a disastrous war since 1950 and, like other war-torn countries of the 20th century, South Korea saw severe inflation. The old won was replaced with the current won at a rate of 10:1 in 1962, so this note theoretically now has a face value of 100 current won, or about 9 US cents. However, I don't think these notes are exchangeable at all any more. Banknotes which servicemen or similar groups of people have all signed are known as "short snorters", a tradition begun in peacetime by passengers and crew aboard early aircraft flights. Often, such notes were used in a similar fashion to "challenge coins" - if you met up with some of the people who signed your note at a later date and you could not produce the note on demand, it was up to you to pay for the round of drinks. Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise, you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. - C. S. Lewis
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Pillar of the Community
United States
742 Posts |
ancestry.com shows a Frank Scotto who was an army private who served in Korea. He was born in 1935 and died in 2005. His service was from 1953-56. He was from New York state and is buried in a National Cemetery there.
It may not be the same one as the ancestry records do not give the middle initial.
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
1234 Posts |
Wonderful history lesson thanks thai-vic and Sap  ! The offer still stands, if Frank or Homer or the others get in touch with me, then the drinks are on me... assuming they are not more than 9 cents  |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
12437 Posts |
I think Sap nailed it, that is most likely a short snorter from the Korean War or shortly thereafter.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1234 Posts |
AMAZING  thanks lettow I just got back from town and had not noticed you put that on just a second before I posted mine  and the story grows. Thank you all, it's just outstanding to find that much information on it. And it's only been 14 hours since I asked  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4233 Posts |
Was the bill torn into eight pieces? It's hard to tell from the photo. Each person would keep a piece with the promise to meet up again at a future date and put it back together. I don't know if soldiers did that during the Korean War, but that's the first thing I thought of. People did similar things in college, and I've seen it in at least one movie.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1234 Posts |
Wonderful idea but the problem is, it's not actually torn all the way.
If you look at the Homer signature that part has no tape. So it was never actually torn all the way but I'd guess it had been folded into a small size to hide in a picture pocket of a wallet, so who ever had it would still have it when they met up the next time.
Edit: forgot to ask, which movie?
Edited by ASLAN TVorlon
02/24/2014 01:50 am
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4233 Posts |
I didn't think so because the one photo has tape residue but doesn't look torn. Just a wild thought. I can't remember the movie, but it was a bill torn in half and the other person proved they were the right person because they had the other half and the serial numbers matched. Something like that, perhaps a spy movie or a TV show. I don't know how widespread my variation on the "short snorter" was, usually it was just two people who each kept half a bill. I don't know if you could actually tape the halves together and spend it and I never participated in it, I just recall that a handful of people I knew did it in the mid-late 70s.
I bet if you were persistent enough you might find out who those soldiers were. They would likely be in their mid 80s now.
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New Member
Germany
7 Posts |
In the movie "The Whole Then Yards" a dollar note that is torn in half plays a significant role.
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
2124 Posts |
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Replies: 11 / Views: 3,007 |
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Posted 01/31/2014 04:39 am
