Ration book holder and contents

Creator

United States. Office of Price Administration

Date

• ca. 1942-ca. 1943

Summary

• Four images of a World War II ration book holder and its contents. This paperboard ration book holder was distributed in 1942 or 1943 as a promotional item compliments of Sepnafski's Meat Market in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. On the front cover are blank spaces for the ration book owner's name and address, with the Sepnafski store name, phone number, and address printed at the bottom. On the back cover are a 1943 calendar and a slogan promoting war bonds: "U.S. War Bonds Mean The American Way of Life / Buy Them / Hold Them." The holder has two inside pockets containing seven ration books, each with some unused stamps, and a ration book wallet of brown leatherette over cardboard. There are three copies of War Ration Book One, two copies of War Ration Book No. 3, and two copies of War Ration Book Four, variously issued to individual members of a Manitowoc family: Charles A. Muehlbauer, his wife Alma L. Muehlbauer, and their son Donald Charles Muehlbauer. The wallet, imprinted "RATION BOOKS" on its front, unfolds to reveal two color-coded pockets for ration tokens, one with a blue flap and the other with a red flap. In this wallet are 60 small red tokens made of vulcanized fiber. Ration tokens, introduced by the Office of Price Administration on February 27, 1944, were used for a short time during World War II to make change for ration coupons. There were red tokens and blue tokens. Blue tokens could be used when purchasing processed foods; red tokens could be used when purchasing meats, fats, fish, and cheese. Both types were produced with two small letters flanking a large numeral 1. The use of different two-letter combinations is thought to have been an anti-counterfeiting measure, as well as a way to ensure accountability in shipment. There were 30 possible two-letter combinations for red tokens, 26 of which are represented on the 60 examples in this wallet.
• Image is copyright 2006 YCI Imaging. These images may be reproduced for educational purposes only.