A ration stamp, ration coupon, 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. Ration stamps were widely used during World War II by both sides after hostilities caused ...

Each ration stamp had a generic drawing of an airplane, gun, tank, aircraft carrier, ear of wheat, fruit, etc. and a serial number. Some stamps also had alphabetic lettering.

May 27, 2024 · During World War II, Americans faced strict rationing to ensure everyone got their fair share of food and supplies. War ration books became an essential part of daily life, containing stamps that dictated how much sugar, meat, and gasoline you could buy.

Every American was issued a series of ration books during the war. The ration books contained removable stamps good for certain rationed items, like sugar, meat, cooking oil, and canned goods. A person could not buy a rationed item without also …

At the end of November, 1942 the government began rationing coffee. Instead of issuing new ration stamps for coffee, the OPA designated certain stamps in Ration Book One (the “Sugar Book”) to be good for a pound of coffee every five weeks. That ration was soon reduced to one pound every six weeks.

In 1942, During WW2, rationing of different foods, gas, and clothing began. Ration stamps were issued to all Americans. The stamps were used to buy rationed items. Rationed items were items of limited quantity because the soldiers needed the items to aid them in fighting the war.

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 person could buy. View a listing of all rationed items. Across the country 8000 rationing boards were …

Ration stamps became a kind of currency with each family being issued a "War Ration Book." 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.

May 23, 2014 · 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...

Mar 17, 2025 · In this insightful breakdown, Leven Parker walks us through the purpose, system, and impact of WWII ration stamps, showing how ordinary citizens played a vital role in the war effort from home.