The paper coins, or pogs, that troops have used at stores and collected as souvenirs on overseas bases for the last 20 years are being phased out as the U.S. military leaves Afghanistan.

Some stores have already stopped using pogs, which were given as change instead of nickels, dimes and quarters since 2001 at Army and Air Force Exchange Service stores.

Signs at the seven AAFES stores that are still open on bases in Afghanistan encouraged people to turn in or use their pogs before they are no longer accepted, spokesman Chris Ward said.

"As closure of operations in Afghanistan continues, Exchange facilities in the country are transitioning to a cashless system," Ward said.

The exact day when pogs will no longer be used anywhere in the country was unknown, he said.

The end of the pog in Afghanistan comes as U.S. and coalition troops continue to withdraw after nearly 20 years of war.

President Joe Biden said last month the U.S. military would be out of Afghanistan by Sept. 11.

Troops and contractors still in Afghanistan have been discussing what to do with their paper coins, they said.

Pogs can continue to be used at locations outside of Afghanistan, but "I think the majority are just calling it a loss and throwing them out," said one soldier, who asked to remain anonymous because she was not authorized to speak to the press.

AAFES began issuing the cardboard coins at exchange stores in Afghanistan in November 2001, saying at the time that pogs are lighter than metal coins and cheaper to ship overseas.

At first, pogs were intended to be temporary and simply carried information saying how much they were worth. But they evolved over the years to feature photos of troops or aircraft, pictures of NASCAR drivers and comic book characters.

Collectors now buy and sell pogs. This week, a set of 13 pogs from 2005 was offered on eBay for $450, and a single 5-cent pog from 2003 with the image of a dolphin was going for $13.

To read the complete article, see:
End of an Era: Base Stores in Afghanistan to Stop Accepting 'Pogs'(https://www.military.com/daily-news/2021/05/19/end-of-era-base-stores-afghanistan-stop-accepting-pogs.html)

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POG DESIGNER GRANT MORRIS TO SPEAK AT 2013 MPC FEST(https://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v16n09a20.html)
NEW BOOK: AAFES - POGS ILLUSTRATED CATALOG(https://www.coinbooks.org/v23/esylum_v23n37a03.html)
MORE ON POGS(https://www.coinbooks.org/v23/esylum_v23n38a11.html)