The first two images explain how ration books were to be used. World war ii ration books, 194345 collection information biographical sketch scope and content note cataloging information processed by emily castle august 2006 manuscript and visual collections department william henry smith memorial library indiana historical society 450 west ohio street indianapolis, in 462023269. What is the value of war ration book four with stamps inside. More than 8,000 ration boards across the country administered the program. A familys ration books that came up for sale at auction last year. Ever wondered how much food a person was entitled to during world war two. During the second world war, you couldnt just walk into a shop and buy as much sugar or butter or meat as you wanted, nor could you fill up your car with gasoline whenever you liked.
To assist with rationing, ration books were introduced on 15 july 1918 for butter, margarine, lard, meat and sugar. Oct 10, 2019 before the start of world war ii the uk imported 55 million tons of food, a mere month after the start of world war ii they imported 12 million. Rationing was introduced temporarily by the british government several times during the 20th century, during and immediately after a war at the start of the second world war in 1939, the united kingdom was importing 20 million long tons of food per year, including about 70% of its cheese and sugar, almost 80% of fruit and about 70% of cereals and fats. Sep 18, 2011 here is the once lost color version of how to use your ration coupons. Civilians still needed these materials for consumer goods as well.
To me the wwii ration books are an interesting part. 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. By 1942 many other foodstuffs, including meat, milk, cheese, eggs and cooking fat were also on the ration. Background search genealogists are always in search of new record sources when confronted with a brick wall. Records from war ration books for genealogy world war two. 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. The only way to survive was to implement world war 2 rationing, and soon the ration book would become the most important book in every british household. Did you know that these books could hold significant clues into your ancestry.
Dec 01, 2018 opa tokens were rationing tokens that were first issued on february 27, 1944, for rationing during wwii. My grandmother recently died peacefully at 95, and while my sisters and i. Perhaps your relatives received ration books during world war ii. An advantage of tokens was that they never expired, while the stamps did. Ration book four also included spare stamps that were occasionally validated for the purchase of five extra pounds of pork. This meant planning meals carefully, being creative with menus, and not wasting food. No sugar could legally be bought without stamps, and sugar rationing. Ration book four also introduced red and blue cardboard tokens, each valued at. This article may feature affiliate links to amazon or other companies, and purchases made via these links may earn us a small commission at no additional. Unfollow world war 2 ration books to stop getting updates on your. Guide to the world war ii ration coupon collection, 19421946. 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. Condition is a big factor, the better the condition the more valuable they are but yet. 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.
Jan 25, 2012 a familys ration books from world war ii. With not a single person unaffected by the war, rationing meant sacrifices for all. I try to guide readers to resources for them to determine the value of the items that they own. Rationing was regulated by the office of price administration and ration books holding stamps used for purchasing goods were distributed to all citizens. If you notice it states, that if you are not happy with your item send back for full refund that is how i sell my items. They usually contain patriotic messages about their part in the war effort. War ration card number one, became known as the sugar book, for one of the commodities americans could purchase with their ration card. Food rationing during world war 2 primary homework help. Great savings free delivery collection on many items. Jan 31, 20 the small coins introduced in 1944 were used by retailers to give change back for food bought with ration stamps.
Have you come across ration books in your genealogy research. During the second world war, americans were asked to make sacrifices in many ways. The first ration books for food became known as the sugar book since it contained the basics. Make offer world war ii ephemera wwii war ration books acorn signal enemy equipment form.
They were coupon books for goods rationed during world war ii. Wwii lot war ration book military card red cross 1938 card flag sticker a7090. Digital collection wwii war ration book 4 american centuries. 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. With the pending capitulation of japan, the printing of ration books for 1946 was halted by the opa on august, 1945. Well, can you think of a resource that not only gives you name, address, age and occupation, but also height and weight of a person. Heres a look at what those ration books and rationing stamps looked like. 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. The point value of all rationed foods will be published and posted in each store at the beginning of each ration period. I have all four books, the first one only has three stamps left, book 2 is empty, book 3 has three full pages and one page that is only missing three stamps, book. With the onset of world war ii, numerous challenges confronted the american people. My 87yearold husband is a wwii veteran who has in his collection some war ration coupon books about 4 of them that his family was issued but did not use. Eventually, most foods were covered by the rationing system with the exception of fruit and vegetables. How to use your ration coupons color version youtube.
The war ration stamps are very common and the demand for them in the collectors circle is not very high. Homefront during the second world war, you couldnt just walk into a shop and buy as much sugar or butter or meat as you wanted, nor could you fill up your. The paper stubs, or stamps, in each ration book purchased rationed consumer goods and foods. Original ww ii us home front collectibles for sale ebay. Well, can you think of a resource that not only gives. Each stamp was worth 1 lb of sugar and was given a designed two week period during. Brief history opa stands for office of price administration tokens replaced the green ration stamps for processed food on feb 20, 1944 stopped being issued in 1945 used to ration retail items during the end of wwii. Jan 11, 20 this weeks questions are about ration books distributed during world war ii. War ration stamps were a common item, and they are not in high demand as a collectible item, making their value fairly low. During wwii, countless products were limited in order to help meet the demands both of the military and the citizens back home. Interesting question, since i have some as family heirlooms, meaning they are not for sale. Get the best deals on wwii ration book when you shop the largest online.
Can you tell me more about rationing from this period and what the ones i have might be worth. The army and navy were growing, as was the nations effort to aid its allies overseas. Each stamp was worth 1 lb of sugar and was given a designed two week period during which it must be used. How we lived and how we ate during the war, as in ww2, has been well publicised recently with the.
Food rationing lasted for 14 years in britain, from 1940 until 1954. My grandmother recently died peacefully at 95, and while my sisters and i were going through old boxes in. A bas relief panel on the world war ii memorial in washington, d. Youll notice that they change slightly throughout the war. War ration book one ration coupons on the home front. During spring 1942, the government introduced rationing. Monday, march 4, 20 by sarah sundin rationing of processed foods was an important part of life on the us home front. Living off rations with ration book cooking day one. The government found it necessary to ration food, gas, and even clothing during that time. My grandmother recently died peacefully at 95, and while my sisters and i were. Of the 180,000,000 printed, 123,000,000 were issued.
Rationing was not only one of those ways, but it was a way americans contributed to the war effort. Shortly after the commencement of world war two, rationing was introduced in canada on january 24, 1942, to limit the use of imported. 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. What is the value of world war 2 ration books answers. Food rationing appeared in poland after the first world war, and ration.
While war ration stamps are not rare, many people find this type of historical memorabilia interesting. Heres a look at what those ration books and rationing. During the war, average calories intake decreased only three percent, but protein intake six percent. The opa token would now represent 1 point and an opa stamp would be worth 10 of these newread more. A common ration book fraud was the ration books of the dead being kept and used by the living.
Wwii ration books provide name, address, age, occupation, and even height and weight. Canadian war ration books food rationing in canada 1942. Learn more about rationing for the war effort during world war ii with research starters at the national wwii museum. Canadian war ration books food rationing in canada 19421947. World war ii put a heavy burden on us supplies of basic materials like food, shoes, metal, paper, and rubber. Aug 31, 2018 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 weeks of the first issuance, more than 91. There is a note on the back of the book that reads.
World war ii opa red point ration tokens wwii, rare mm. Common world war ii donations the national wwii museum. World war 2 ration books the war ration was not very high. I recently inherited my familys world war ii ration books, including paper coupons and coins. According to exhibit hall, war ration stamps are only worth a few cents each, and entire books. Unfollow world war 2 ration books to stop getting updates on your ebay feed. Guide to the world war ii ration coupon collection, 1942. At an auction less than a week later, i found another group of ration books for a family with children. American rationing began in early 1942, shortly after pearl harbor and the newlycreated office of price administration oversaw price freezes and rationing. Home front coupons, rare book, manuscript, and special collections library, duke university. With not a single person unaffected by the war, rationing.
I have a ww2 ration book holder and books from a family of 4, some of the books have stamps. Between 1942 1947, the government issued four different series of ration books. When tokens came into use, the purchaser could receive three tokens, each worth one point, in exchange. How much food were people actually rationed during world. 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. 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. It was thought that even if japan does not fold now, the war will certainly be over before the books can be used. Other ration cards developed as the war progressed. To meet this surging demand, the federal government took steps to conserve crucial supplies, including establishing a rationing. Curatorial has many ration booklets and stamps, but our education department is still looking for ration books. Identification of item, in the world war ii ration coupon collection, 19421946, david m. However, on february 27, 1944, the opa token made its debut.
Initially used to ration sugar, coupons were later designated for other products. In the late 1940s the conservative party exploited and incited growing public anger at rationing. Pricing depends on rarity, and they get more value, the more provenance you can. It began after the start of ww2 with petrol and later included other goods such as butter, sugar and bacon. 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 weeks of the first. Opa tokens were rationing tokens that were first issued on february 27, 1944, for rationing during wwii. Ration book used during world war ii with sheets of stamps inserted in the middle. Distributed may 20, 1943 the coupons used for food and other commodities. On august 15, 1945, world war ii gas rationing was ended on the west coast of the united states. War ration book one ration coupons on the home front, 1942. Jun 24, 2019 interesting question, since i have some as family heirlooms, meaning they are not for sale. World war ii ration books, 194345 collection information biographical sketch scope and content note cataloging information processed by emily castle august 2006 manuscript and. Buy motor fuel ration book and get the best deals at the lowest prices on ebay. History, by george coowners george and ko notarpole are extremely knowledgeable.
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