quote:
Originally posted by toast
I saw this and though "Why Bother?"
Why not just use a nickel?
Is it that combat troops don't want the jingle of change in their pockets?
It was done to keep the military economy isolated from the local civilian economy in the countries where US troops were stationed - to suppress black market trading and so forth. Periodically the old notes would be exchanged for new ones and demonetized, to prevent hoarding.
IIRC there was a M*A*S*H episode which dealt with this scenario.
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