Another day of sorting and throwing things away, and another unexpected find–four tiny bills, measuring about 3-1/2″ x 1-3/4″.

They read: “De Japansche Regeering, EEN CENT.” They were in a small brown envelope sent to my mother from Australia. The envelope has red logos at the top left for the Salvation Army, Australia Comforts Fund, and YMCA. It has a large stamp indicating it had been passed by Censor 86B. I can’t make out a date.

An online search quickly identified these as WWII Japanese invasion or occupation currency, apparently from Indonesia.

There are a number of letters from the sender, W.C. DeRenne, among the things my mother kept from that period. In one, written from a base in England, he says something like, “One D-Day is enough for this soldier.” I read it yesterday, and that might be a little off from the actual wording, but the sentiment was clear. I don’t know anything more about DeRenne or if he survived the war. Perhaps if I organize these letters, I’ll piece together some of those basics.