The coupons, smaller than postage stamps, were for staples like sugar, gas, coffee and milk. The ration books contained removable stamps good for certain rationed items, like sugar. War ration book five basic gasoline ration supplemental gasoline ration transportation mileage ration 2 gasoline ration card no. The rationing of goods in us during wwii war history online.
Ration stamps became a kind of currency with each family being issued a war ration book. Three complete pages remain the 4th page is missing stamps 1, 2, 3, and 4. To assist with rationing, ration books were introduced on 15 july 1918 for butter, margarine, lard, meat and sugar. Aug 16, 2014 a world war 2 ration book template containing 12 pages and a front and back cover. You are covered by the ebay money back guarantee if you receive an item that is not as described in the listing.
I have a war ration book 3 with about 190 stamps left. Ww 2 mileage ration card, 1942 wartime recipes, typography letters. To help produce the glycerin needed by the military, housewives also collected kitchen waste fats. Identification of item, in the world war ii ration coupon collection, 19421946, david m. The stamps contained in this book are valid only after the lawful holder of this book has signed the certificate below, and are. In all the ration books that weve seen, however, the completion of the form was not as strictly enforced as with the book one series. Once a persons ration stamps were used up for a month, she couldnt buy any more of that type of food. More than 8,000 ration boards across the country administered the program.
Make sure this fits by entering your model number this is a single replica junior ration book from 19441945 ideal for school projects, events or for those with an interest in world war 2. During world war ii, ration books were distributed to families by the office of price administration opa to help regulate food shortages as a result of the war. Coupons and rationing during world war ii dealhack. Initially used to ration sugar, coupons were later designated for other products.
Each ration stamp had a generic drawing of an airplane, gun, tank, aircraft carrier, ear of wheat, fruit, etc. If there are any problems with your order whatsoever, please message us before leaving feedback and. 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. Canadian war ration books food rationing in canada 1942. The listing, rare collectible vintage world war 2 us dept of agri food stamp plan rationing token coin has ended. Ration book four also introduced red and blue cardboard tokens, each valued at onepoint, to be used as change for ration coupon purchases. Because of rationing, a person was only allowed to buy items that he or she had stamps for in his or her ration book, with no exceptions. During the war, average calories intake decreased only three percent, but protein intake six percent. Title world war ii rationing stamps program dates 19431946 inclusive 1943 1946 quantity 1 box. It is interesting to note that some cookbooks published during the war featured sugarless recipes so home cooks could more easily comply with the rationing program. War ration book one this is the cover for holding the ration book that was issued to my grandmother. Need for the rationed commodities or materials to equip and support military forces, or for use in producing war materiel. It still cost money, but you couldnt even buy it unless you had stamps.
Records from war ration books for genealogy world war. The war ration stamps are very common and the demand for them in the collectors circle is not very high. Each page is separate so you can include what you need. Cataloging information for additional information on this collection, including a list of subject headings that may lead you to related materials. Dept agri agriculture, the back reads farmer jacks 1, these tokens were given for rationed food in the usa during world war 2, foods that were rationed in the usa were oleo. War ration books were produced by the united states office of price administration in 1942 when united states officially entered the second world war. Ration books were given to everyone in britain who then registered in a shop of. World war ii ration book three stamps these are the world war ii ration stamp books of young william walton smith jr. The paper stubs, or stamps, in each ration book purchased rationed consumer goods and foods. Rationing of food and other goods during world war two changed the social landscape of britain for a generation, creating a national culture of ingenuity, austerity and makingdo. We use cookies to give you the best possible experience on our website.
Wwii war ration coupon stamp book wallet pouch lot ww2. Groceries were not the only items that were rationed. Wwii war ration coupon stamp book wallet pouch lot ww2 album album album album album album album album more than just a pretty picture. Shortly after the commencement of world war two, rationing was introduced in canada on january 24, 1942, to limit the use of imported food and to free up supplies for the military and their allies. Ration stamps were widely used during world war ii by both sides after hostilities caused interruption to the normal supply of goods. Four different series of war ration books were issued. Mass production of the medicine was not possible until during the war, hence, its rationing was the only solution available. The front cover of the war rations book is featured on the picture above. We established this ration book search to assist researchers in tracking down records of possible relatives and ancestors. World war i following nearly three years of intense combat since the. There is a note on the back of the book that reads.
The ministry of foods carefully formulated diet is generally believed to have impro. All red and blue ration stamps were worth 10 points. Now before anybody starts on about respecting gifts, im not selling it, its just every time i look at it i see something extremely valuable, from a historical reference point of view. World war 2 food rationing stamp plan token, on the token reads u. Last year my mum gave me a ration book that dates back to world war 2, shes a hairdresser and one of her customers, an old lady, learnt that i was interested in history and gave me it. Rationing was part of life on the us home front during world war ii. A brilliant example of a ration booklet that children can use during their learning on the second world war and rationing. Each stamp was worth 1 lb of sugar and was given a designed two week period during. Enemy capture of the sources of imported commodities or materials 3.
Between 1942 1947, the government issued four different series of ration books. 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. In exchange for used ration stamps, ration boards delivered certificates to restaurants and merchants to authorize procurement of more products. 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 weekly food ration for two people, uk, 1943 this photograph shows the amounts of butter, milk, bacon, lard, sugar, cheese, tea and jam received by two people per week in britain. The medicine became so scarce that there was a triage panel that was established to decide which patients needed the medicine after careful examination of their health. Along with gasoline, sugar, coffee, processed foods, meat, and cheesefats and oils were rationed. World war ii ration book three stamps these are the. You had to have ration stamps to buy things at the store. Around 1939, when world war ii began, the united kingdom imported twothirds of its food, all of which had to be shipped over oceans teeming with german uboats. Why not create a role play area and provide all children with one, allowing them to experience rationing firsthand. A person could not buy a rationed item without also giving the grocer the right ration stamp. The ration books contained removable stamps good for certain rationed items, like sugar, meat, cooking oil, and canned goods.
After the united states entered world war ii, the government approached this. Red and blue tokens were used to make change for red and blue stamps only when a purchase was made. Etsy is the home to thousands of handmade, vintage, and oneofakind products and gifts related to your search. World history, world war ii, local history, 5th grade social studies, teaching social studies, history teachers, teaching history, history classroom. Youll notice that they change slightly throughout the war. Food rationing appeared in poland after the first world war, and ration stamps were in use until the end of the polishsoviet war. War ration books and tokens were issued to each american family, dictating. The small coins introduced in 1944 were used by retailers to give change back for food bought with ration stamps. Learn more about rationing for the war effort during world war ii with research starters at. Vfnm, never used, see pics this item was uploaded by dg. The books are all from the same syracuse, new york family. But dont sell it untill you get a good idea of the prices people are getting for that kind of thing. Of the 180,000,000 printed, 123,000,000 were issued.
Book one below was issued on may 5th, 1942 by avis hays registrar for local board no. Several photographs of the paperwork needed to obtain food and gas are displayed here. 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. Squaretradeverified sellerclick to learn more lot of world war ii era war ration books plus a holder. Ration books became a way of life for everyone at home during world war ii.
A majority of collections are stored off site and must be requested at least 2 full. Ration book used during world war ii with sheets of stamps inserted in the middle. I was given 6 war ration books with most of the stamps still in them. Each stamp authorized a purchase of rationed goods in the quantity and time designated, and the book guaranteed each family its fair share of goods made scarce, thanks to the war. Throughout the 1940s and for nine years after the end of the war every man woman and child in britain owned ration books of coupons for food and clothing. These are the world war ii ration stamp books of young william walton smith jr.
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. This meant planning meals carefully, being creative with menus, and not wasting food. Wwii ration books are items of historic ephemera dating from the second world war. 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. The back reads never buy rationed goods whitout ration stamps never pay more than the legal price.