Specialized private collectors may pay a little more for unused books in mint condition. By 1942 many other foodstuffs, including meat, milk, cheese, eggs and cooking fat were also on the ration. World war ii put a heavy burden on us supplies of basic materials like food, shoes, metal, paper, and rubber. Civilians still needed these materials for consumer goods as well. There is a note on the back of the book that reads. They were coupon books for goods rationed during world war ii. More than 8,000 ration boards across the country administered the program. 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.
Its objectives included rationing of scarce commodities, price fixing on certain items to avoid speculation, and preventing runaway inflation during the war. The army and navy were growing, as was the nations effort to aid its allies overseas. An antihoarding, prorationing poster from the united states in world war ii. The ministry of foods carefully formulated diet is generally believed to have improved the nations health. Civilians first received ration bookswar ration book number one, or the sugar book on 4 may 1942, through more than 100,000 schoolteachers, pta groups, and other volunteers 7. War ration book one 1942 office of price administration private collection. Ration book one was issued in may 1942, book two in january 1943, book three in october of 1943, and book four towards the end of 1943. Each book required different identification and some were more detailed than others. At auction, the two sets of ration books did not generate a lot of bids. War ration books two, three, and four contained blue stamps for processed foods and red stamps for meat, cheese, and fats. Jun 02, 20 what is the value of war ration book no.
The small coins introduced in 1944 were used by retailers to give change back for food bought with ration stamps. When world war ii started, the government reduced deliveries to stores and restaurants, instituted price controls, and urged people to voluntarily reduce consumption. A person could not buy a rationed item without also giving the grocer the right ration stamp. The site genealogy today offered a database to search for ration books. Two ration books were distributed to every eligible man, woman, child, and baby in the united states. Unfollow world war 2 ration books to stop getting updates on your ebay feed. The events on december 7, 1941 catapulted the united states into world war ii. Are the 50 million dm german postage stamps worth much today. Every american was issued a series of ration books during the war.
In the united states, nationwide food rationing was instituted in the spring of 1942, and each member of the family was issued ration books by the office of price administration opa. In 1942, five months after december 8, 1941 the united states entered the second world war, book one series were issued. Did you know that these books could hold significant clues into your ancestry. It has three stamps inside which are numbered 19, 20, and 22. Red stamps were used later when meat, fish and dairy products were added to the rationed foods. War ration book one 1942 office of price administration. If your war ration book one was issued to you on application by a member of your family, the number of stamps torn from the books of the family was based on the amount of sugar owned by the family, and was divided as equally as possible among all the books. Meat cuts with ceiling prices and point values per pound properly displayed in a butchers case, world war ii. Youll notice that they change slightly throughout the war. The countrys entrance into the war meant many changes on the home front. This book is your governments guarantee of your fair share of goods made scarce by war, to which the stamps herein will be assigned as the need arises. This new ration book, replacement for present books when their stamps are used up, will be distributed during the early summer.
Identification of item, in the world war ii ration coupon collection, 19421946, david m. Ever wondered how much food a person was entitled to during world war two. World war ii ephemera wwii war ration books acorn signal enemy equipment form. Book five, already printed when japan surrendered, was not distributed. Ration books three and four were issued in 1943 and used through 1945. The point value of all rationed foods will be published and posted in each.
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. Background paper contains stylized great seal and the phrase u. Historic recipes world war ii cookbook created ration. Ration book four was printed in red, blue and green. Each person started with 48 blue points and 64 red points each month. Yes, ration book two like war ration book one now used for sugar and coffee may be used by any member of the household to whom the book is issued. Interesting question, since i have some as family heirlooms, meaning they are not for sale. Apr 07, 2020 war ration book four, issued to the family of gardiner johnson by u. Pricing depends on rarity, and they get more value, the more provenance you can document tying it to particular families, particular persons, and so on.
War ration book two ration coupons on the home front, 1942. Guide to the world war ii rationing collection, 19421945. War ration book two 1942 office of price administration. Get the best deals on war ration book when you shop the largest online selection at. Guide to the world war ii ration coupon collection, 1942. War ration book one ration coupons on the home front, 1942. The first book is a united states of america war ration book one.
Food rationing and canning in world war ii national. Ration book used during world war ii with sheets of stamps inserted in the middle. From what i can tell they are from 19421945 approximately. 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. Four different series of war ration books were issued. Each stamp was worth 1 lb of sugar and was given a designed two. United states in this fourth year of war the need for food is greater. The official website of the oregon secretary of state illustrations and written instructions on how to shop with ration books in world war ii. Ration stamps became a kind of currency with each family being issued a war ration book.
Rationing is a vital part of your countrys war effort. Blue stamps were good for canned goods such as vegetables and dried fruits. Office of price administration book description washington, d. Each person was allowed 48 blue points and 64 red points per month. 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. Perhaps your relatives received ration books during world war ii. Guide to the world war ii ration coupon collection, 19421946. Mar 12, 2020 a ration book is a book of coupons which is used to control consumption of certain products which may be in high demand.
What is the value of world war 2 ration books answers. Rationing for the war in the united states began in 1942 and ended in 1946. This meant planning meals carefully, being creative with menus, and not wasting food. Rationing began on 8th january 1940 when bacon, butter and sugar were rationed. War ration book four 1943 office of price administration private collection. Those of us who dont remember the war may not think much of the sacrifices made by people at home, as thousands also died abroad. A person could not buy a rationed item without also giving the grocer the right ration. 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. What is the value of war ration book four with stamps inside.
To meet this surging demand, the federal government took steps to conserve crucial supplies, including establishing a rationing. Jan 25, 2012 these books also offered personal information about the family, and a genealogy site on the web suggested that they were a good source for familyhistory research. Each household was issued ration books based on a variety of factors. On august 15, 1945, world war ii gas rationing was ended on the west coast of the united states. The first ration book was introduced in the us in 1942, with people receiving their first one on may 4 th the same year. Rare old us ww2 war opa ration book gas stamp red token coin collection lot. Records from war ration books for genealogy world war two. During wwii, countless products were rationed in the united states in order to. Yes, ration book two like war ration book one now used for sugar and. A brilliant example of a ration booklet that children can use during their learning on the second world war and rationing. According to exhibit hall, war ration stamps are only worth a few cents each, and entire books generally sell for a few dollars. Feb 23, 2019 what would be the value, if any, of war ration books. American civilians first received ration bookswar ration book number one, or the sugar bookon 4 may 1942, through more than 100,000 school teachers, pta groups and other volunteers 7 sugar was the first consumer commodity rationed.
What is the value of world war 2 ration books with. It contains four pages of point stamps, similar to the point stamps in war ration book 2, though slightly different in design and printed in brown ink. Britain had already instituted a pointbased rationing system and had found it effective, so the united states decided to implement a similar program in 1943. War ration books and tokens were issued to each american family, dictating how much gasoline, tires, sugar, meat, silk, shoes, nylon and other items any one. Any member of the family may use all the familys ration books. Staining, soiling and other cosmetic damage would detract from the resale value of your wwii era ephemera. War ration book one ration coupons on the home front. Historic recipes world war ii cookbook created ration worthy meals. Interestingly, the ration books issued during world war two attempted to capture these items. Between 1942 1947, the government issued four different series of ration books. 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. Make offer vintage wwii world war 2 war ration book dated 1943 stamps united states gov. War ration book two 1942 office of price administration private collection.
Jan 31, 20 the small coins introduced in 1944 were used by retailers to give change back for food bought with ration stamps. War ration stamps were a common item, and they are not in high demand as a collectible item, making their value fairly low. Of the 180,000,000 printed, 123,000,000 were issued. Ration book two introduced blue stamps for the rationing of processed foods. Ration book four also introduced red and blue cardboard tokens, each valued at onepoint, to be used as change for ration coupon purchases. Links to 1940s newspaper clippings on rationing, primarily world war ii war ration books. Collection consists of ration coupons, stickers, permits, and certificates for tires, bicycles, typewriters, sugar, shoes, fuel oil, gasoline, and food which were issued by the office of price administration between 19421946. Office of price administration, the paper stubs, or stamps, in each ration book purchased rationed consumer goods and foods. Due to rationing, cooking during the world war ii era required some special recipes. Ration books are particularly associated with the second world war, when many countries experienced shortages of needed consumer goods, and they decided that a rationing system would ensure fair and even distribution. World war ll ration book printable pdf teaching history. 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. A difficult time for the united states us rationing of. Chief among these alterations was the introduction of food rationing in 1942.
With the pending capitulation of japan, the printing of ration books for 1946 was halted by the opa on august, 1945. Initially used to ration sugar, coupons were later designated for other products. It was thought that even if japan does not fold now, the war will certainly be over before the books can be used. War ration book two ration coupons on the home front. War ration books were produced by the united states office of price. The ration books contained removable stamps good for certain rationed items, like sugar, meat, cooking oil, and canned goods. Etsy is the home to thousands of handmade, vintage, and oneofakind products and gifts related to your search. Oct 10, 2019 basic mileage ration class a coupons for a 34 plymouth in the united states. War ration book four, issued to the family of gardiner johnson. In the united states, nationwide food rationing was instituted in. If you are referring to the monetary value of a ration book, i recently purchased two of them, one with most of the stamps attached and the other with just a few. Manufacturing of radios, metal furniture, vacuum cleaners, refrigerators, sewing and washing machines was stopped for civilians. The paper stubs, or stamps, in each ration book purchased rationed consumer goods and foods. Ration coupons on the home front, 19421945 duke university libraries digital collections.
Learn more about rationing for the war effort during world war ii with research starters at. This book is the property of the united states government. The october 21, 1943 edition of the pocahontas times reads. Will processed baby foods be rationed on the same point system as foods for grownups. Each stamp was worth 1 lb of sugar and was given a designed two week period during. One contained blue coupons for processed goods while the other contained red coupons for meat, fish, and dairy products. Each american citizen was issued a series of ration books which contained removable stamps specific to particular items or types of items, with a designated. The war ration stamps are very common and the demand for them in the collectors circle is not very high. World war ii rationing united states american history. The first two images explain how ration books were to be used. Rationing in wwii doing their duty by doing without a bas relief panel on the world war ii memorial in washington, d. World war 2 ration books the war ration was not very high.
Each person received 64 red stamps each month, providing 28 ounces of meat and 4 ounces of cheese per week. At an auction less than a week later, i found another group of ration books for a family with children. Every american was entitled to a series of war ration books filled with stamps that could be used to buy restricted items along with payment, and within. These photos captured what happened when the united states.
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