Obverse Design

Kelsey Type 1 design: two rectangles are side by side, not quite centered in the chit. The left rectangle is about 30 mm wide, and the right rectangle is about 10 mm wide. The rectangles are about 19 mm high. In the left rectangle, the top line says "FORT SHERMAN". The next line is "N.C.O. OPEN MESS". The next line says "FORT SHERMAN, C.Z.". On the bottom left under these lines in small italic letters in three lines it says "NOT GOOD", "IF", "DETACHED". On the bottom right is the serial number; "1751D" in the example above.

The right rectangle has a smaller rectangle just inside it. It has a large "10" filling up most of the rectangle. Underneath the denomination it says "CENTS" in a block with reversed colors (the block is dark ink, and the letters are the same color as the field of the chit).

Reverse Design Blank.
Color White with black ink; serial number in red ink. Material Light-weight cardboard. Size and Shape Rectangular, 51mm wide by approximately 23 mm high. Top edge is perforated, bottom edge is usually perforated but may be straight.
Dates Issued Probably sometime between 1943 and 1963.
Issurer Fort Sherman, on the west bank of the Canal across from Cristobal/Colon (this is on the Atlantic side of Panama).
Mintage Unknown.
Rarity Very Rare. Manufacturer Probably the Kelsey Coupon Company of Cincinatti, Ohio. Source Plumer's Catalog number: Sherman #10-W, Hill's Catalog.
Varieties This is only known 10 Cent variety.
Function Mess (cafeteria) chit.
Notes For population count, known specimens are as follows:
  1. Specimen cited by Hill (not pictured, number unknown).
  2. Plumer Specimen #1751D, pictured above.