The E-Sylum:  Volume 11, Number 15, April 13, 2008, Article 12

CHOPS ON UNITED STATES NOTES

In the previous issue of the E-Sylum, Granvyl Hulse wrote
about the special pen used on U.S. notes to check their
authenticity and its relationship to chop marks on old 8
Reales coins.  Howard A. Daniel III writes: "Despite their
common usage by numismatists, the word 'chopmark' and phrase
'chop mark' are technically incorrect.  A chop IS a mark so
'chop mark' is like writing 'chop chop' or 'mark mark'.
The correct English is to just write 'chop' and drop 'mark.'

"Because there are so many counterfeit $100 'super notes'
in circulation, merchants and foreign money exchangers in
Southeast Asia are chopping all they consider authentic.
The practice is quite common and it's now unusual for me
to find $100 notes without them in Southeast Asia.

"After I recently retrieved some $20 U.S. notes from an ATM
in Falls Church, VA, I sat inside my vehicle and checked the
notes.  I do this with all notes received in change, which
drives my wife nuts.  On one of the notes, I saw a couple of
chops.  What were they doing on a $20?

"The chop on the far right of the back appears to be airplane
crashing into a globe or some type of round object.  The chop
on the far left of the back appears to be an upside down clenched
fist inside a circle with 'C Q S' around the top inside edge and
a 'G' to the lower right of the fist.  There is also 'Benjamin L'
near this latter chop.  Neither of these chops appear to be from
Asia and sort of remind me of gang markings or propaganda of
some kind.  Does anyone have any ideas about these chops?"

To view the image of Howard's "chopped twenty", see:
Howard's "chopped twenty"

Airplane and globe detail:
Airplane and globe detail

Benjamin L detail:
Benjamin L detail

 GRANVYL HULSE ON CHOP MARKS
 esylum_v11n14a18.html

  Wayne Homren, Editor

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