NEW BOOK: WORLD WAR II FINANCE: CANADA AND NEWFOUNDLAND

World War II finance and the various issues available for collectors are a little-known, but growing, area of interest for collectors. For Canada and Newfoundland a new book helps collectors with what the authors rightly call a very complex group of issues.

Canada issued war savings certificates (in many varieties), war bonds, and victory loan bonds. Furthermore, nine separate loan drives were held. Each drive had a unique issue of Victory Loan Bonds and these bonds could be bearer or registered instruments!

The Canadian War Savings Certificates are equally complex. They had two major conditions of issue, two different printers, three major design types and many varieties and sub-varieties. The certificates were supplemented with the sale of war savings stamps.

Newfoundland War Savings Certificates were issued in $3, $6, $12, $30 and $60 denominations. While these denominations sound strange, they allowed for more convenient purchase prices ($2.50, $5, $10, $25, and $50)! These certificates are replete with two signature varieties and several paper varieties.

Newfoundland issued war bonds. This had not previously been reported in any numismatic source. A bond prospectus illustrated in the book proves that they were issued, but no bonds have been reported in collection according to the authors. Many of the Canadian War and Victory Bonds listed are also not reported in any collection leaving many research opportunities for collectors.

The book is full color throughout with more than 220 images in forty-eight pages of the many interesting numismatic emissions and related items. The book is by Dick Dunn (Ontario), Dan Freeland (Michigan), and Harold Kroll (Alabama). All three are serious collectors of this material.

There is something for just about every collector--plenty to read and study and a stunning array of images. Furthermore every single page has information that has never before been published and even information that has previously been published (1995) is updated with new material.

Two forewords are included that provide insights from two very different perspectives. Paul Berry, Chief Curator, Currency Museum, Bank of Canada, speaks from the view of his professional position. Among many other things, he points out that building a collection of Canadian World War II bonds because of the variety of issues and the complexity of the series is a very challenging task.

Joe Boling is a governor of the American Numismatic Association and past president of the International Bank Note Society, Most importantly with respect to this project, he is also author and editor of World War II Remembered which was the first book to list any of the items that are now listed in the current book. His foreword describes the trials, tribulations, process, and even triumphs of studying and cataloging the various issues in 1993.

The book was released at MPCFest XI on April 17 where all three authors and Joe Boling were present to sign autographs.

The book is available from the publisher at $16 or $50 for a collector's edition both postpaid to Canada or the US. The collector's edition includes a basic copy for daily use and a special edition with autographs of all five authors (Dunn, Freeland, Kroll, Barry, and Joe Boling), first day of issue stamp and an actual war bond coupon mounted (nondestructively) on the title page. Contact BNR Press, 132 E. Second Street, Port Clinton, Ohio 43452 or (preferably) fredschwan@yahoo.com (PayPal payment accepted at this address as well).

Wayne Homren, Editor

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