Food rationing was a way to share food that became hard to get during the war in a. Just because you had a sugar stamp didnt mean sugar was. Moms ration book still has stamps in it some are red, some are blue. All car owners received a letter windshield stickers and a gas ration coupon booklet. Ration book four also introduced red and blue cardboard tokens, each valued at onepoint, to be used as change for ration coupon purchases. Of the 180,000,000 printed, 123,000,000 were issued. During world war ii these items were hard to come by. Ration book used during world war ii with sheets of stamps inserted in the middle. 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.
And to prevent hoarding, ration stamps had expiration dates. Jan 31, 20 the small coins introduced in 1944 were used by retailers to give change back for food bought with ration stamps. Even one old shovel will help make 4 hand grenades. The blue stamps will be used for the first group of goods to be rationed by points. Civilians first received ration bookswar ration book number one. Everyone that lived in the us was issued ration books, so they are pretty common.
Ration stamp with stamp pressed down on an angry looking green man source. You had to have ration stamps to buy things at the store. 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. A special canning sugar stamp in the ration book had to be attached to the application.
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. Rationing is the controlled distribution of scarce resources, goods, services, or an artificial restriction of demand. World war ii point rationing explained in larchmont ny. Rationing began on 8th january 1940 when bacon, butter and sugar were rationed. This is a sample of the ration books used in world war ii. Four different series of war ration books were issued. The leather purse containing her ration books bears a goldstamped. To assist with rationing, ration books were introduced on 15 july 1918 for butter, margarine, lard, meat and sugar. Stamps were torn off in front and given to grocers in exchange for the item.
See more ideas about wwii, ration stamp and wartime recipes. Jul 11, 2016 four different series of war ration books were issued. Black markets during world war ii perspectives on black. The goal of rationing kept people from overbuying and hoarding. Rationing of processed foods started march 1st, 1943. To get your classification and ration stamps, you had to certify to a local board that you. Poster instructing how to use ration tokens collections search. Learn more about rationing for the war effort during world war ii with. Staining, soiling and other cosmetic damage would detract from the resale value of your wwii era ephemera. On june 28, 1942, each stamp became good for two pounds of sugar over a fourweek period. War ration books and tokens were issued to each american family, dictating how much. War ration book one ration coupons on the home front, 1942. The book was issued to roland otto mueller of falls city, texas on may 4, 1942. New ration books covered all the foods now rationed, which included sugar, coffee, red meat.
Ration book two contained red and blue stamps, numbered az, each with different ration point designations. There is a note on the back of the book that reads. What is a war ration book four worth with some stamps. 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.
Inside eileen harrisons wwii ration book ann arbor. Home page ration book search how to use your war ration book. How much is a war ration book four worth with about 100 stamps. It has the warnings on the front and was printed in 1942. Area camp san luis obispo for the 1898 camp merriam just north of the lombard street entrance to the presidio in san francisco. May 11, 2019 all three were living in macon, missouri when ration book four was issued in 1943. Bringing rationing into effect was postponed several times owing to a campaign in the press led by the daily express newspaper, which called rationing an unnecessary. Rationing is the controlled distribution of scarce resources, goods, or services, or an artificial restriction of demand. All three were living in macon, missouri when ration book four was issued in 1943. The book is numbered 544171 aa and has the original owners name and address on the front of the booklet. Digital collection wwii war ration book 4 american centuries. Front cover image 886117 cz united states of america office of price administration war ration book four.
Seeing these booklets makes me realize even more how abundant life is in the united states today. A book in fair condition with around 100 stamps could run from 50. What is a war ration book four worth with some stamps answers. A person who finds a lost war ration book must return it to the war price and rationing board which issued it. The opa accepted ration book applications and issued ration books, from which consumers tore out stamps in order to purchase food and other supplies at grocery stores. Vintage war ration book holder, war sugar purchase certificate, four copies of ration book 4, war ration stamps, 1940s world war ii items fabulousvintagestore from shop fabulousvintagestore.
During the war, average calories intake decreased only three percent, but protein intake six percent. Each month brought new ration stamps as the old ones expired. During world war ii the united states instituted a rationing program that led to both. The above photo are blue ration stamps from a real war ration book number two. Rationing controls the size of the ration, which is one persons allotted portion of the resources being distributed on a particular day or at a particular time.
This us government war ration book four is dated 1943. What do the pictures on the war ration stamps from book 3. Mar 23, 2007 ration books became a way of life for everyone at home during world war ii. Initially used to ration sugar, coupons were later designated for other products. World war two ration stamp points release dates living like. Office of price administration covid19 update may 12, 2020. An antihoarding, prorationing poster from the united states in world war ii. Just because you had a ration card, that didnt mean that the ingredients you. Jul 10, 2015 the above photo are blue ration stamps from a real war ration book number two. And book four series were issued towards the end of 1943.
Ration stamps, in book form, were issued to every man, woman, and child to be used. Other meat value of 1 shilling and 2 pence equivalent to 2 chops cooking fat 4 oz. 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. As you can see above, eileen had an a rating for gasoline, which allowed 3 or 4 gallons a. A woman flips through a rationing stamp book reserved for sugar purchases 1943. Civilians first received ration bookswar ration book number one, or the sugar bookon 4 may 1942, through more than 100,000 schoolteachers, pta groups, and other volunteers. They were not actually used until four months later, however. Ration stamps became a kind of currency with each family being issued a war ration book. In 1942 rationing had started for sugar, gasoline and other goods. The red stamps were for canned fruits and vegetables.
Make it do sugar rationing in world war ii sarah sundin. The coupons, smaller than postage stamps, were for staples like sugar, gas, coffee and milk. Of these about 84 are detached and 36 are still attached. Note the first stamps in war ration book one will be used for the purchase of sugar. Ration book four was printed in red, blue and green. It has three stamps inside which are numbered 19, 20, and 22. War ration book two will have four pages of blue stamps and four pages of red stamps. War ration book one ration coupons on the home front. In may, war ration book one was distributed to each person, which was good for a 56week supply of sugar, which equaled about 12 oz.
They could also get two ounces of tea about 24 tea bags and only four. The name of a person under 18 years of age may be signed either by such person or by his father, mother, or guardian. Meat rationing continued for 10 years after dday june 1954 in 1946, when food was just as short as during the preceding years, bread was added to the ration and the sweet ration was halved. And in an old envelope, faded strips of ration stamps from march and april 1946, allowing you to buy meat 90 grams per stamp and fat 50 grams per stamp. The red stamps were for butter, margarine, meats, cheese, fats, and canned fish. War ration book four with stamps, issued to gertrude smith, spencer, south dakota. Food rationing lasted for 14 years in britain, from 1940 until 1954. Food rationing appeared in poland after the first world war, and ration stamps were in use until the end of the polishsoviet war. The small coins introduced in 1944 were used by retailers to give change back for food bought with ration stamps. Four different ration books were issued during wwii.
In accepting this book, i recognize that it remains the. The first book is a united states of america war ration book one. United states of america office of price administration. Vintage war ration book holder, war sugar purchase certificate, four copies of ration book 4, war ration stamps, 1940s world war ii items. 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. 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. Thus, the shopper for a family of four had a total of 192 points for processed food and 256 points for meats, fish, and dairy products. I was given 6 war ration books with most of the stamps still in them. It still cost money, but you couldnt even buy it unless you had stamps. Find war ration book four, issued to the family of gardiner johnson by u.
Wikimediapublic domain food rationing was a way to share food that became hard to get during the war in a fair. Ration books became a way of life for everyone at home during world war ii. Each stamp had a number on it designating the points it was worth as well as a letter showing which rationing period the stamp could be used. Us war bonds poster of a rockwell painting depicting a man exercising. The alreadyprinted ration booklets were issued to the public on 8 september 1939, 5 days after war was declared.
Rationing in the us was introduced in stages during world war ii. No sugar could legally be bought without stamps, and sugar rationing would continue until supplies returned to normal in 1947. The paper stubs, or stamps, in each ration book purchased rationed consumer goods and foods. The ration books contained removable stamps good for certain rationed items, like sugar. Before the stamps of the war ration book may be used, the person for whom it was issued must sign it as indicated in the book. By 1942 many other foodstuffs, including meat, milk, cheese, eggs and cooking fat were also on the ration. War ration book four, issued to the family of gardiner.
In 1942, five months after december 8, 1941 the united states entered the second world war, book one series were issued. As shown in figure 2, the process of the ration system began in the spring of 1942. The ration book and procedures changed around once every 4 months. Mothers war ration book two kentucky kindred genealogy. 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.