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10 Cents Pusan; NCO Open Mess
| Issuer | U.S. Army NCO Open Mess, Pusan (APO 96259) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1950-1955 |
| Type | Vouchers |
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| Obverse description | Letterpress-printed voucher on blue paper in black ink, with a heavy decorative border framing the text. The denomination "10 CENTS" is set in bold type at right within a ruled panel, and a red letterpress serial number appears below the main legends at centre. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | PUSAN NCO OPEN MESS APO S.F. 96259 Void if detached 10 CENTS |
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| Comments |
Pusan NCO Open Mess scrip was issued under the Military Payment Certificate-adjacent system of post exchange and mess-facility tokens that proliferated during the Korean War period, when commanders needed to suppress the black market circulation of U.S. dollars among Korean civilians. APO 96259 placed this mess squarely in the Pusan base complex — a rear-area logistical hub, not a frontline posting — which meant relatively stable, continuous issue and redemption rather than the chaotic scrip practices seen closer to the 38th parallel.
The blue paper stock is characteristic of early-issue mess scrip before standardized coloring conventions hardened across commands. Redemption was theoretically controlled, but accountability records for individual mess facilities in this period were notoriously incomplete.