WWII War Ration Book Four

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From the collections of PVMA • Digital image © Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Assoc. • Image use information


About this item

Ration Book Four was used during World War II when foodstuffs, among other items, were in short supply. It consisted of coupons, stamps, and tokens.  Each stamp was illustrated with a symbol such as a naval ship, airplane, tank, gun, horn of plenty, or torch of liberty.  Also included were red and blue cardboard tokens, each valued at one point, to be used as change for ration coupon purchases. Before tokens were introduced, people had to present the exact number of points for the purchase of merchandise or forfeit the difference.  An advantage of tokens was that they never expired, while the stamps did. This book also included “spare” stamps that were occasionally validated for the purchase of five extra pounds of pork.

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Details

Item typeLegal Documents
Government/Society Record
AuthorGovernment Printing Office
Date1943
PlaceWashington, D.C.
TopicHome Life, Household Items, Furniture
Commerce, Business, Trade, Consumerism
Politics, Government, Law, Civics
EraGreat Depression and World War II, 1929–1945
EventWorld War II. 1939–1945
MaterialPaper
Process/FormatPrinting; Ink; Handwriting
Dimension detailsProcess Material: printed paper, ink with manuscript Height: 4.50 in Width: 5.75 in
Catalog #L05.157
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Government Printing Office. WWII War Ration Book Four. 1943. Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, American Centuries. https://americancenturies.org/collection/l05-157/. Accessed on November 9, 2024.

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