New POGs offer 'moving glimpses into patriotism', including 9/11 site

Above: Marines 'shop' at a 'mobile PX' in Ar Rutbah in April. Lightweight paper pogs take the place of heavy coins at foreign post exchanges (PX) and base exchanges (BX) with the denomination (5, 10 or 25 cents) printed on one side and a picture on the other. The origin of the pog can be traced back to the 1920s in Hawaii. A local fruit drink company bottled its product in glass bottles sealed with wax-covered paper disks with different pictures imprinted. The juice was a combination of passion, orange and guava fruit and became known as POGs, when used by children for games.

The newest edition of POGs being used in Iraq and Afghanistan offer “moving glimpses into patriotism,” as Army and Air Force Exchange Service put it, in more ways than one.

About 431,000 of this 10th POG series are “lenticular images,” which means the POGs look like they’re in motion when viewed at an angle.

For example, one of the 25-cent POG denominations features twin beams of light that seem to rise from the World Trade Center site. Patrolling troops appear to advance closer as you move the 10-cent POG to three different angles. The other lenticular design features a B-2 Bomber that seems to swoop under the St. Louis arch, coming closer with each angle...

“Anyone who has seen any of the preceding nine POG series knows that many of the patriotic images featured can amuse, inspire and even provoke thought,” said AAFES Chief Marketing Officer Richard Sheff. “I think the new lenticulars take that emotional connection up a notch as subtle movements create powerful, dramatic and eye-catching imagery.”

Read the rest at Marine Corps Times