Short Snorters

Short Snorters (signed banknotes, usually by people travelling on an aircraft) provide a snapshot in time from WWII.

We will continue to add notes to this page and over time we may be able to trace the people and places shown.

If you have any information on these notes or would have JIM short snorters you would like added, please contact us.

 

Una Merkel - American stage, film, radio, and television actress

New Guinea – Una Merkel has a new angle for autograph hunters. She goes the short-snorter gag one better and gets everybody’s signature when she gives them an autograph. Her roll of bills of all kinds is so long now it trails on the ground.

December, 1943

 

 

Peace Short Snorter

This fascinating 4.7-metre-long short snorter is from soon after the end of WWII. The collection is a snapshot of World War II banknotes and includes some hard-to-find notes, Japanese invasion money and an Australian 10 shilling. The earliest hand-written date is 31 October 1945.

Malaya 10 cents (Japanese); Malaya 1 dollar (Japanese); Malaya 5 dollars (Japanese); Malaya 10 dollars (Japanese); Pacific / Europe 10 cents (Sept 1946, USA Military); Pacific / Europe 20 cents (Sept 1946, USA Military); China 1000 yüan (1945 Central Bank); China 100 yüan (1945 Federal Bank); China 500 yüan (1945 Federal Reserve Bank); 1 yüan (1935 Bank of China); China (1927 Bank of Communications); Philippines 500 pesos (Japanese); Japan 10 sen (1944); Japan 5 sen (1944);
China 5 sen (Japanese); Malaya (Japanese); China 10 yen (Japanese); Philippines 1000 pesos (Japanese); 10 yen (‘B’ USA Military for Okinawa / Ryukyu Islands); 5 yen Japan (Military); Japan 50 sen (1938); Japan 50 sen (1942–44); Philippines 10 pesos (Japanese); Philippines 5 pesos (Mindano Emergency Currency); Philippines 10 pesos (Japanese); Philippines 1 peso (Japanese); Philippines 5 pesos (Japanese)’ Dutch East Indies 10 gulden (Japanese); Oceania 1/2 shilling (Japanese); Dutch East Indies 10 cent (Japanese);
Philippines 5 centavos (Japanese); Philippines 50 centavos (Japanese); Philippines 1 peso (Victory series): Netherlands Indies 50 cents; Australia 10 shillings; Burma half rupee (Japanese).

 

This note from the The Phillippines in WWII is titled 'Lingayen Gulf, Luzon, 6 March 1945' along with nine signatures. Further investigation may reveal who these courageous people were and of their fate. If anyone can identify any of the names, it would be appreciated. Please feel free to share any short snorters from your collection as well.

 

Signed by an Australian Soldier.

My dear Hess, Bet you another one this can’t buy you a beer.

 

From a US Soldier

Jap Money captured at Tacloban, Leyte.

To Mr Doohan, from R.J. Abbott xxxx USNR, Philippines, Oct 20 / 44.