Virtual Museum - US 1 Dollar Silver Certificate - Posted: 10.17.09
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The Short Snorter Project
United States One Dollar Silver Certificate - Series 1935A - Serial Number J43146173C.
Submitted by Russell DeMatteo on October 17, 2009, who writes,"I own a convience store / gas station in New Castle, Pa.
I was working today and was handed a silver certificate one dollar bill when a customer purchased two dollars worth of
gas, and my first thought was who would ruin a silver certificate like that writing all over it. In today's world I thought a
short snorter had something to do with some drug addict using the bill to snort his stuff. My mind kept wondering about
this dollar so I looked it up online. Now I can't stop talking about it. I think this is very cool, with myself being a bit of a
collector. I am excited about this and share the details with all of my customers, but have yet to find one of them who
know what it is. Is there any way to find out whose short snorter this was? Did they mark them in some way? The bill has
a "Crossed Equator 1528 GCT 3-18-44." I know the date, and think 1528 is the time, but at the top also has this "Atlantic
Ocean - Natal to b or d akar - 3-21-44 B24 #129571."
I figure the date once again and "B24" I am now assuming is the plane, but the rest boggles me."
Translating the details on the note:
"ATLANTIC OCEAN - NATAL TO DAKAR - 3-21-44 B24 #129571"
They crossed the Atlantic Ocean from Natal, Brazil, to Dakar, West Africa, on March 21, 1944, in a B-24 Liberator bomber
"bureau number" 129571 (like a VIN number). That was the most common, safest, and shortest over-water route used
eastbound from the U.S. to North Africa and beyond in World War 2.
"CROSSED EQUATOR 1528 GCT" means they crossed zero degrees latitude (the Equator) at 3:28 PM Greenwich Civil
Time (GCT) - which is the same as Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and "Z-time". GCT was used for many years by seamen
and navigators but is not commonly used today. This is when the original owner was "made" a Short Snorter.
FRONT SIGNATURES:
Elliott L. Katz "48716"
Chuck Mundorff
Tom Wilcox
UNDECIPHERABLE
BACK SIGNATURES:
George D. Smith
John R. Mason
William J. Zeli
Robert J. Thomas
??? D. Stewart
Hector ? Debonis
Darwin C. McDonald
Bill Forrest
Lt. Sig J???
Royal H. Sidie
Howard L. Young
UNDECIPHERABLE
UNDECIPHERABLE
UNDECIPHERABLE
Webster O. McCarthy
Edwin A. Philippe
??? Thompson
John Peterson
John E. Lindberger
Herman A. ???
J. L. Sweetman
J. W. ???
Kenneth O. ???