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Short Snorters

Posted: 02 Feb 2015 14:18
by Mac
Ledo Road Short Snorter

Although the idea of a banknote with graffiti all over it makes me cringe, some are interesting in the content of the writing (providing the note isn't rare!). Short snorters fit that category and are an interesting phenomenon, with a significant historical tale.

A short snorter is a banknote which was signed by various persons traveling together or meeting up at different events and records who was met. The tradition was started by bush pilots in Alaska in the 1920's and subsequently spread through the growth of military and commercial aviation. If you signed a short snorter and that person could not produce it upon request, they owed you a dollar or a drink (a “short snort”, aviation and alcohol do not mix!).
From shortsnorter.org. More on Short snorters there.


This is the Ledo Road Short snorter, commemorating the Ledo Road construction project during World War two.
It is signed by a lot of senior people of the time, including Louis Mountbatten.

The Ledo Road, from Ledo, Arunachal Pradesh, India to Kunming, Yunnan, China, was built during World War II so that the Western Allies could supply the Chinese as an alternative to the Burma Road which had been cut by the Japanese in 1942.


Ledo Road short Snorter
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Short snorter on an Irish note

Posted: 03 Feb 2015 20:41
by Mac
Here is a Short Snorter on an Irish Lavery Ten Shilling note. The instances of Irish notes being used in such a fashion reflects the fact that during WW2 US aircrew used to pop down to the Republic of Ireland for some R 'n' R from bases in Northern Ireland. This resulted in some 10/- and £1 snorters. I've note seen any higher denominations.

Lady Lavery War code Ten Shilling note Short Snorter
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Conference Short Snorters

Posted: 04 Feb 2015 15:26
by Mac
Short Snorters from the Allied Conferences in WW2

I've been doing a bit of research, and there are several Short Snorters linked to some of the more famous meetings during WW2.

Harry Hopkins Short Snorter
This one is signed by both Churchill and FDR amongst others. A nice piece of history. It links the London Conference (July, 1942) and the Cassablanca Conference (January 1943).

Cassablanca Conference (Harry Hopkins) Short Snorter
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A detailed report on the note, with a listing of the signatories is here on the short snorter website.


Averell Harriman Short Snorter
Cassablanca Conference, January 1943. Again signed by Churchill and FDR.

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A detailed report on the note, with a listing of the signatories is here on shortsnorter.org.


Yalta Short Snorter
(February, 1945)

Although missing the signatures of the leaders, this is still an interesting part of the set.

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More about the Yalta short snorter.

Irish One Pound Short Snorter

Posted: 02 Mar 2015 00:11
by Mac
Irish One Pound Short Snorter with Eisenhower signature

Here is an Irish Lavery Pound note Short Snorter, dated 1939 (this note would have entered circulation in mid-1940) which includes the signature of Dwight D. Eisenhower, and some other important people of the time. One wonders how these signatures ended up on an Irish note. These notes are known to have been in circulation in Northern Ireland, tough not in large quantities.

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Currency Commission Ireland One Pound 1939 Short Snorter


For details, see The Short Snorter Project website which describes the signatures on the note in detail.

Re: Short Snorters

Posted: 11 Jul 2015 16:56
by Mac
Here's another Lavery 1940 10 shilling note Short Snorter, presumably wartime.
Not sure what the names are though.

10 shillings 1940
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Re: Short Snorters

Posted: 06 May 2016 22:55
by Mac
1941 10 Shilling note short snorter.

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1941 10 Shilling note short snorter.

One of the signatures appears to be dated 18.4.46.

Re: Short Snorters

Posted: 07 May 2017 02:57
by ThePloughman
USNR short snorter on a 1941 Irish 10 shilling note.
This one is from 1943. I guess it was circulating in England.

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Re: Short Snorters

Posted: 10 May 2017 21:59
by Mac
Interesting to see a note dated 1941 with evidence of withdrawal from circulation (the date stamp) in 1943-44.

I don't know of any place called 'Hedron' in the UK though.

Re: Short Snorters

Posted: 18 Mar 2019 15:09
by Mac
Here is a Short Snorter on a 1943 Ten Shilling note, with a date 19 August 1945 (checks date, a Sunday) written on the back.
And what looks like 'Paris' written twice, before the date. Most of the names are recognisable as Irish names, with the second from the bottom, O'Domhnall being written in an Irish writing style of the day—note the style of the D.

These may be servicemen of Irish origin in the British army, posted to Paris.

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Re: Short Snorters

Posted: 27 Mar 2019 18:43
by Mac
Here is a very dense Short Snorter on a 1942 Provincial Bank £1 note.
I can't see any date among the signatures which might indicate when the people signed the note.
There appears to be signatures of Service personnel from a range of countries on it.

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Re: Short Snorters

Posted: 12 Feb 2023 13:23
by DOC
Those Short Snorters are really interesting, so much history captured in these notes. One of the notes posted previously by The Ploughman is particularly fascinating in having an official stamp of The United States Naval Reserve applied during WWII. The stamp reads ‘B.H. Harrison. SEA1c USNR FAW7 HEDRON UK-1943-44’. It appears that B.H. Harrison either cashed the note in or submitted it for safe keeping at the Squadron Headquarters.

The Headquarters Squadron (HEDRON) referenced on the note was based in Dunkeswell, Devon, England during WWII. It can be seen that B.H. Harrison has signed the note ‘B.H. Harrison, U.S.N.R., England, Dunkeswell’.

Re: Short Snorters

Posted: 25 Feb 2023 18:57
by The Governor
Nice work on decoding that one DOC!