A 1922 US Dollar Bank Note With A Fascinating History.

 

       If you visited our house and walked into the study, I would ask you to look to the right as you entered. I would point out a US dollar bill in an old frame. The $1 bill is from 1922. It has been in the family 75 years. There is quite a story behind it.

       When World War II ended, my dad transitioned from commanding a heavy armored vehicle with a 155 mm Howitzer on top. His new vehicle was a US Army Willys Jeep. He went from being a combat artilleryman. His new job was a social worker. He would drive around the German countryside all day long. His primary job was to help displaced people find food, shelter, and medical care. His secondary job was to round up German soldiers. These military people would go to camps for processing.

   One morning as dad was riding down a country road, he spotted a group of German soldiers huddled on the roadside. Their uniforms were in tatters. They were filthy. They looked hungry and exhausted. Dad brought his jeep to a stop. He looked at the men. He noticed that all the soldiers gave special respect to one man. He got out of his jeep and walked toward the men.

         He started to speak German to the man who appeared to be in charge. Dad got the surprise of his life. The German responded to him speaking American English (Many decades ago if a German spoke English, they spoke British English.) The German introduced himself as a Field Marshal (General). As the conversation continued, it came out that this German officer had been an exchange student at the University of Tennessee in the early 1920's. Dad and this German officer "hit it off famously." They became good friends.

         Dad drove this German officer in his jeep to a processing center for senior German officers. Enquiries revealed that this officer had not been involved in war crimes. He was detained in comfortable circumstances befitting an officer of high rank. Dad became this general's "go to man." If the general was having a problem with the US Army bureaucracy, dad would go up the chain of command and work it out. If the general had other special requests, dad would see that these were taken care of.

         In early 1946 when dad was told to pack up and leave for the US. The general was very sad to see his friend go. He reached into his pocket. He brought out his wallet. He gave my dad a 1922 US dollar that he had kept since his days at the University of Tennessee. Dad thanked him and left.

       For the rest of his life, dad would proudly boast the following:

       "Son in World War II, I captured a German Field Marshal."

     This $1 note has stayed in the family for 75 years. Being a collector, I got curious yesterday as to what this almost 100-year bank note would be worth. I went to EBay. A 1923 banknote like ours was valued at $4,700 US. I bet that our bill is worth more than $5,000 US!