Military Police (1964-66)
The sharp looking Ike jacket really makes the Military Police set (7521). This may be the uniform with the most variation in color, and it can be maddening for collectors to track down all the types they seek. See notes on variations below. An early 'tm' brown Hong Kong set above, the rarer Olive Drab version below.
Below, a comparison spin of an early brown and a green set. the brown uniform has a no country of origin tag, the green is tagged 'GI Joe TM Hong Kong'
Below, a later Japan tagged set.
The set was released in a window box (above) and as a series of four small cards (7523, 7524, 7525, 7526) (below)
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A few notes on MP variations
Shoulder straps come both narrow and wide, with or without buttons, with or without points.
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Buttons can be brown or pale green
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Colors vary from brown through green shades
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Pants can have one or two back pockets
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Waist belts can be wide or narrow, with or without a point at the end, pockets can be larger or smaller with square or rounded bottoms, with or without stripes (above).
The photo lefts shows a few different shades available. The toughest to find seems to be a light olive green, seen below. This set usually has a tag marked "GI Joe tm/ by Hasbro/Hong Kong" The dark green (second from the left) is also very rare, and is sometimes called the "jeep driver" version because it appeared in an ad for the Combat Jeep set |
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A comparison of a no country of origin brown MP set with a 'TM' Hong Kong Olive Drab MP set
Above, the round '5 star' snap found on many authentic OD MPs
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The 'snow drop' helmet can have a serif stencil font logo (left) or a sans serif block stencil like the version below. The sans serif version with angled sides on the 'M' is considered to be the earlier release, though this may not be accurate, as later Airborne MP sets are sans serif. The Jeep Driver Ike Jacket (below) is an unusal deep green with lighter stitching. I'm seeking matching pants if anyone out there has a pair, please contact me. |
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More information on how the jacket and pants are tagged is coming soon. Establishing priority can be tricky, but generally:
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