No matter what youre looking for or where you are in the world, our global marketplace of sellers can help you find unique and affordable options. People lined up at public places staffed by volunteers who took depositions on how much sugar each family already had at home and then issued ration books containing coupons good for a years supply. Food is a weapon the rationing of goods in us during wwii. Ration stamps were widely used during world war ii by both sides after hostilities caused interruption to the normal supply of goods. To conserve rubber and gasoline, a countrywide speed limit of 35miles per hour was implemented. Office of price administration, rationing in world war ii washington. Coffee was rationed in the first place because of war in the atlantic. At the bottom it reads when you have used your ration, salvage the tin cans and waste fats. Food rationing begins nationwide the national wwii museum blog.
The events on december 7, 1941 catapulted the united states into world war ii. War ration books were issued to each family, which indicat ed how. Life resumed as normal and the consumption of meat, butter, and sugar inevitably rose. Jul 10, 2015 the above photo are blue ration stamps from a real war ration book number two. A ration stamp or ration card is a stamp or card issued by a government to allow the holder to obtain food or other commodities that are in short supply during wartime or in other emergency situations when rationing is in force. Ration books became a way of life for everyone at home during world war ii. World war two collection and one other and was provided by arlington historical societys fielder house museum to the portal to texas history, a digital repository hosted by the unt libraries. The first ration book was introduced in the us in 1942, with people receiving their first one on may 4 th the same year. The front cover has been left blank, so it can be filled in by the new owner. World war ii rationing stamps program, 19431946 overview of the collection title world war ii rationing stamps program dates 19431946 inclusive 1943 1946 quantity 1 box.
Food rationing appeared in poland after the first world war, and ration stamps were in use until the end of the polishsoviet war. World war ii sacrifices on the home front in houston county. The red stamps were for butter, margarine, meats, cheese, fats, and canned fish. Price new from used from paperback, 1942 please retry. Jul 11, 2016 the ration books contained removable stamps good for certain rationed items, like sugar, meat, cooking oil, and canned goods. After three years of rationing, world war ii came to a welcome end. The back reads never buy rationed goods whitout ration stamps never pay more than the legal price.
Ration book two contained red and blue stamps, numbered az, each with different ration point designations. Of the 180,000,000 printed, 123,000,000 were issued. Two world war ii war ration book four with stampsissued houston texas. March 1, 1942 food rationing begins nationwide the. Unfollow world war 2 ration books to stop getting updates on your ebay feed. Once a persons ration stamps were used up for a month, she couldnt buy any more of that type of food. The front cover of the war rations book is featured on the picture above. War ration books ww2 1942 large lot mileage sugar more 7a. In 1942 rationing had started for sugar, gasoline and other goods. No sugar could legally be bought without stamps, and sugar rationing would continue until supplies returned to normal in 1947. Chief among these alterations was the introduction of food rationing in 1942. This ration book belonged to luella runck of oxford, indiana. It still cost money, but you couldnt even buy it unless you had stamps. Rationing controls the size of the ration, which is ones allowed portion of the resources being distributed on a particular day or at a particular time.
Under the food rationing system, everyone, including men, women, and children, was issued their own ration books. The stamps were used to buy sugar, coffee, flour, meat, etc. World war ii memorabilia memoriabilia and collectibles from world war ii, including helmets and other field gear, medals and ribbons, patches, and more. Sugar, the first item rationed nationwide in may 1942, started the process, followed by coffee. If you had any sugar, you were allowed to keep it, but stamps representing this quantity were town from your book except for a small. Once a persons ration stamps were used up for a month, she couldnt buy any more of that type. War ration book one ration coupons on the home front, 1942. Included is an eight cent stamp depicting a mail delivery driver with holes along the right edge, a postcard with two russian stamps, and a bicentennial of the day of freedom july 4 76 cover in a vinyl storage case with four thirteen cent stamps marked july 4, 1776.
May 22, 2006 to a collector it would be worth a great deal. While americans still live with some of the results of world war ii, rationing has not returned. All car owners received a letter windshield stickers and a gas ration coupon booklet. The office of price administration issued 123 million copies of war ration book one, which contained stamps that could be used to purchase sugar. Each stamp was worth 1 lb of sugar and was given a designed two week period during. The ration books contained removable stamps good for certain rationed items, like sugar, meat, cooking oil, and canned goods. Rationing is the controlled distribution of scarce resources, goods, services, or an artificial restriction of demand. Sep, 2017 elaine norwich showing bushel of beans she just picked. The ration stamps allowed you to purchase a certain amount of each commodity per person in your household. The sale of sugar ended countrywide in april 1942, which resumed on may 5 but each person was entitled to receive only 0.
Pictures, scans, text of war ration book one, two, three, four issued between 1942 and 1945 by office of price administration, local board 181920, caddo parish, louisiana. Permission to publish material from the world war ii rationing stamps program must be obtained from the special collections manuscript curator andor the special collections department head. Food rationing and canning in world war ii national. Stamp 16 was for sugar the book was nicknamed the sugar book but, to my. Ration book four also introduced red and blue cardboard tokens, each valued at onepoint, to be used as change for ration coupon purchases. The typical car owner received an a gas ration coupon booklet, allowed 150 miles of driving per month and only 3 gallons per week, but if someones job required them to drive further then the a book allowed them they would be eligible for the b gas ration coupon booklet. War ration book one ration coupons on the home front. Home page ration book search why war ration book no.
But dont sell it untill you get a good idea of the prices people are getting for that kind of thing. Etsy is the home to thousands of handmade, vintage, and oneofakind products and gifts related to your search. Items similar to vintage sugar poster print digitally remastered world war i. Ration book four was printed in red, blue and green. Wwii ration books utilised a system that ensured that everyone had equal amounts of food, clothes and provisions and were an integral part of the war effort in. The red stamps were for canned fruits and vegetables. They were charged with acting as an agent of the ration administration, wartime prices and trade board, under carefully defined regulations. Rationing of processed foods started march 1st, 1943. World war two ration stamp points release dates living like. You had to have ration stamps to buy things at the store. The first stamps in war ration book one will be used for the purchase of sugar. Stamps had to be torn off in the presence of the grocer. Four different ration books were issued during wwii. When this book was issued, the registrar aasked you, or the person who applied for your book, how much sugar you owned on that date.
Sugar was the first food to be rationed, as the war with japan caused our nations supply of sugar to quickly be reduced by more than a third. Ration stamps were widely used during world war ii by both sides after hostilities caused interruption to the normal. A person could not buy a rationed item without also giving the grocer the right ration stamp. To assist with rationing, ration books were introduced on 15 july 1918 for butter, margarine, lard, meat and sugar. Use these books to illustrate how ration books worked. Every american was issued a series of ration books during the war. I do not know anything else about this young man, or what became of him. Initially used to ration sugar, coupons were later designated for other products. World war ii sacrifices on the home front in houston county, texas. Names were put on the coupon books and the stamps had to be tom out in the. The paper stubs, or stamps, in each ration book purchased rationed consumer goods and foods. Rationing the encyclopedia of oklahoma history and culture. Wwii us war rations books and stamps this page describes the way in which resources such as gas and sugar were rationed and distributed to the civilian population in the united states during wwii.
See more ideas about wwii, world war and ww2 posters. Ration coupons on the home front, 19421945 digital. Ration books were very valuable and had to be presented to the grocery clerk. The inside cover lists names and addresses of retailers. Each stamp was illustrated with a military symbol such as a naval ship, airplane, tank, gun, horn of plenty or torch of liberty, adding a patriotic flair. The ration book bore the recipients name and could only be used by household members. There are many forms of rationing, and in western civilization people experience some of them in daily life without. War rationing 19401949 fashion history movies music. Wwii war ration coupons gas, sugar, tokens huge lot. It will limit their purchases of sugar beginnning around the middle of march to 12 ounces per individual per week. Green stamps will be replacing blue stamps in new ration book 3.
Jan 14, 20 to prevent hoarding and skyrocketing prices, the office of price administration issued 123 million copies of war ration book one, which contained stamps that could be used to purchase sugar. Rationed foods were categorized as either needing red or blue points. Individuals used these books daily to purchase rationed goods such as sugar, butter, beefsteak, and gas. On june 28, 1942, each stamp became good for two pounds of sugar over a fourweek period. If you didnt use all of one kind of your stamps, you would trade them to someone else for a stamp you could use. During the war, average calories intake decreased only three percent, but protein intake six percent. War ration books and tokens were issued to each american family, dictating how. Vintage wwii ww2 world war ration book stamps sugar flyer. Mar 23, 2007 ration books became a way of life for everyone at home during world war ii.
Ration coupons on the home front, 19421945 83 about the digital collection the world war ii ration coupon collection consists of ration coupons, stickers and certificates for tires, bicycles, typewriters, sugar, shoes, fuel oil, gasoline, and food which were issued by the office of price administration from 19421945. To discourage hoarding, each family had to report how much sugar they had in stock over a certain amount and the corresponding number of stamps was removed from the book. To get your classification and ration stamps, you had to certify to a local board. See more ideas about ration stamp, stamp, ration card. Note the first stamps in war ration book one will be used for the purchase of sugar. World war ii home front ration book four 1942 1945. Jan 31, 2011 to discourage hoarding, each family had to report how much sugar they had in stock over a certain amount and the corresponding number of stamps was removed from the book. When entering the hospital for greater than ten days, the ration book had to be brought along.
The countrys entrance into the war meant many changes on the home front. The used ration coupons became the responsibility of banks across canada. World war two ration book what did ration books look like. If you have any complaints, questions, or difficulties regarding your war ration book, consult your local ration board.
This was almost half of the national consumption at that time. The first consumer commodity item to be rationed in the us was sugar. Without the stamps you will be unable to purchase these goods. The coupons, smaller than postage stamps, were for staples like sugar, gas, coffee and milk. World war ii ration book three stamps these are the world war ii ration stamp books of young william walton smith jr. Wwii ration books are items of historic ephemera dating from the second world war. Sugar rationing created an additional concern for women who canned. First, uniform stamp rationing constituted stamps for a stated equal quantity of a. Farmers must win the battle of the land with the machinery they already have. Ration coupons on the home front, 19421945 83 about the digital collection the world war ii ration coupon collection consists of ration coupons, stickers and certificates for tires, bicycles, typewriters, sugar, shoes, fuel oil, gasoline, and food which were issued by. If the book was lost, stolen, or destroyed, an application had to be submitted to the ration board for a new copy. On may 5, 1942, each person in the united states received a copy of war ration book one, good for a 56week supply of sugar. Red and blue stamps have been from ration book number two. Food rationing and canning in world war ii national womens.
250 1201 621 697 1507 1066 1105 1224 1377 578 381 1461 35 195 1277 183 405 939 881 553 1046 831 1297 1117 1019 1018 756 995 892 1174 143 1435 336 301 563 1279 1175 1442 665 1070 298 828 375 151 760 176 433