However, on the reverse, mine is not orange colored as my pictures show. Opinions welcomed and what grade it would be. Unfortunately someone wrote "Korean" on the obverse. This was my grandfather's as he served in the US Navy. He honorably discharged a few months before the US entered into the Korean War in June if 1950 if that helps.
It looks like P-46 to me with grey back. Hold it up to the light and check if there's a watermark (around the "Korea" graffiti). If there is one it is P-46a, if there is no watermark than it is P-46b. It appears to be in "Fine" condition (from what I can see from the photo).
Nice WW2 banknote & even better backstory. I would be seeking as much info as I could get into the details of your grandfather's service.
I thank both of you for you're help. I am going off Serial Number 8's advice. I am holding it up to the light and don't see any watermark. I am no expert though. However, on the obverse of the bill there are red markings of "46A" in the top left and right top above the old man's head.
I know quite a bit about his service. Grandfather told me a story of what the great depression was like... plowing a tobacco field behind a mule at age 12 (1940). He said he went into the service to get away from working too hard. LoL. He was too young to serve in WW2 and it was winding down anyways. Grandfather was on the USS Boxer a light aircraft carrier. He served from March 1946 (the day he turned 18) until March 1950. He thought about renlisting but went back home to farm in Tennessee. My brother has a Japanese Yen from this time period as well. I know he ported in Veracruz, Mexico, Tokyo (all over Japan), Guam, etc. I remember him saying they ported in Shanghai, China one time (this was before tensions flared and right after WW2). He was an airplane mechanic on piston fighter planes. Don't mean to go on but I like history and hearing and telling stories like these.
PMG might grade your P-46b 1947 100 Won as VF20 (or Choice Fine15) since soiling seems light & besides the graffiti, the only flaw is the upper border edge tear on the centre vertical fold.
Great stories & thanks for sharing. I hope you pass these anecdotes around for your family & others to keep them relevant.
Interesting story as well and very good idea ngdawa. I will write down as much as I can remember and keep it with the Won. There is photo book (like an American school yearbook) of him and his shipmates all standing for a photo on the ship. I am not a fan of war but feel sometimes you have to answer the call for freedom and liberty. America is a unique story but we wouldn't be here without our allies and like minded countries. I also value other countries and like collecting their coins and bank notes and hearing their stories of really fighting for liberty and freedom. No one is perfect but I think many of my generation (age 30s/40s) and the younger generations are spoiled and feel entitled.
I like this recent film called The Forgotten Battle.
Yes, war is easy to dislike but I'm sure those who fought the battles despised it even more. Each battle is very ugly & horrendous ordeal. Too awful to really contemplate & WW2 lasted 5 long years. The movie illustrates the types of sacrifices made on both sides for one long bloody awful battle that took place in Holland. It's worth checking out.
Quote: "teutonic_metal"I am not a fan of war but feel sometimes you have to answer the call for freedom and liberty. America is a unique story but we wouldn't be here without our allies and like minded countries.
There is nothing glorious aviut wars, and they seldom end in a triumph of liberty. What is left is a torn country with a broken population.
The Korean war was just an excuse for USA and USSR to fight each other, just like the Vietnam war. No one cared about to liberate anyone, they just wanted to fight and they needed an excuse to do so. It was the Ckld War after all.
Then we have Iraq, Kuwait, Afghanistan, which was all just about self interests in oil and influencing the government. Look at Afghanistan today. What was accomplished in 20 years? Where's the liberty and freedom? They were invaded, raped, and left alone in a state about worse than before.
You both make good points and I wasn't glorifying war. I wish I had Netflix to check that out but I don't currently. I was just saying, in my opinion, many people become enthralled with being offended or upset about trivial things in modern times. They remind me of hall monitors in school so to say. In America, my grandfather lived through the Great Depression, WWII, Korea, man on the moon, the muscle car era, etc. It was quite the time to live. I can never put myself in the shoes if those who fought wars as many of them were finished decades before I was born. My grandfather was just someone from a farm in Tennessee, America looking to see the world, serve, and get away from farming but then was tired of it. I think he could see the Korean War coming, and wanted to go back home. Vietnam was horrible as was both Iraq Wars and I don't even know what to think of Afghanistan. Many countries are in proxy wars, including America now and it's sickening. I was talking more of the respect of those who worked hard their whole life and then took up the cause to fight what they perceived as tyranny (American Revolution). Was there slavery and other evils going on ? I am sure, but fast forward to the US Civil War and a lot of people sacrificed to eradicate slavery and preserve America. The same thing happened with WWII. No one is perfect and we all have our flaws but sometimes you have to stand up for freedom and liberty so that totalitarianism does not come about. I do not worship America. I am just thankful I live here and not in a negative utopia. It is very alarming how bad things are getting though. It's not perfect what the world has become or is but better than letting evil run rampant. I am glad we still have freedom to have discussions like this topic. We will all be judged one day and to give account for ourselves.
