Allied Military Authority currency, 2 schilling, for use in Austria inscribed by an American soldier

Identifier
irn88160
Language of Description
English
Alt. Identifiers
  • 2013.483.8
Level of Description
Item
Languages
  • German
Source
EHRI Partner

Extent and Medium

overall: Height: 2.250 inches (5.715 cm) | Width: 4.500 inches (11.43 cm)

Creator(s)

Biographical History

John Pines Phillips was born on June 28, 1924, in Anson, North Carolina, to Walter Binyon (Bun) and Sallie Gilmore Phillips. He had eleven siblings. His father Bun was a carpenter. John was a salvage inspector. On December 8, 1941, following the attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States entered World War II. On May 7, 1945, Germany surrendered, but the US was still at war with Japan. On June 29, 1945, John was inducted into the United States Army. He trained at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and Camp Pickett, Virginia, and qualified as an M1 rifle marksman. On September 2, 1945, Japan surrendered, ending World War II. On January 27, 1946, John was discharged from the wartime draft force and re-enlisted in the regular army. John was sent to Europe on April 1 as part of the Army of Occupation. He was stationed in Germany and Austria. He served as a private first class with the 222nd Infantry Regiment, 42nd Infantry Division. The 42nd was inactivated in June and John was transferred to Cannon Company, 5th Infantry Division. The 5th was inactivated in November and John was moved to F Company, 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division. On January 3, 1947, John returned to the US. He was discharged on January 24 and returned to North Carolina. On August 2, John married Louise Abernathy (1922-2008). They had two sons. John worked at Phillips Construction. John, age 86, died on February 22, 2011, in North Carolina.

Archival History

The bank note was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2013 by Cristy L. Phillips, the granddaughter of John Phillips.

Acquisition

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of Cristy L. Phillips

Funding Note: The cataloging of this artifact has been supported by a grant from the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany.

Scope and Content

Allied Military currency, two (zwei) schilling, for use in Austria, acquired by John Phillips, a soldier in the postwar United States Army of Occupation in Austria and Germany from April 1946 - January 1947. The value 20 cents is handwritten in the corners. Military currency or occupation money was produced for use by military personnel in occupied territories. The notes for different currencies: lire, francs, kroner, marks, schillings, and yen, had similar designs for ease of production. Phillips served in the US Army from June 1945 to January 1947, with the 222nd Infantry, 42nd Infantry Division, Cannon Company, 5th Infantry Division, and F Company, 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division.

Conditions Governing Access

No restrictions on access

Conditions Governing Reproduction

No restrictions on use

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Rectangular paper currency with a face in pale blue and black ink with the denomination 2 schilling in each corner. There is an rectangle underprint with a repeating pattern of the denomination 2 in the interlocked circles. It is overlaid by a band of 3 large ornaments overlaid with Zwei schilling. There is German text in the center and schilling 2 in a ribbon along the bottom center. On the reverse are 2 large, decorative circles with the denomination 2 schilling and Zwei schilling printed in the center. The value 20 ¢ is handwritten near the corner denominations on the back. The note is wrinkled and discolored, with stained edges.

face, each corner, handwritten, blue ink : 20 ¢ back, each corner, handwritten, blue ink : 20 ¢

Corporate Bodies

Subjects

Genre

This description is derived directly from structured data provided to EHRI by a partner institution. This collection holding institution considers this description as an accurate reflection of the archival holdings to which it refers at the moment of data transfer.