Home Home
   Swat the Shopping Bug to view related military items!

WWII US War Rations Books And Stamps - This page describes the way in which resources such as gas and sugar were rationed and distributed to the civilian population in the United States during WWII. Several photographs of the paperwork needed to obtain food and gas are displayed here.


The front cover of the war ration's book is featured on the picture above.

The back cover of the war ration's book is featured on the picture above.

HOW TO USE THE RATIONS BOOK

The following is a set of instructions that came with every book:

Your first ration book has been issued to you, originally conyaining 28 war ration stamps. Other books may be issued at later dates. The following instructions apply to your first book and will apply to any later books, unless otherwise oredered by the Office of Price administration. In order to obtain a later book, the first book must be turned in. You should preserve War Rations Books with the greatest possible care.

1) From the time the Office of Price Administration may issue orders rationning certain products. After the dates indicated by such orders, these products can be purchased only through the use of War rations Books containing valid War Ration Stamps.

2) The orders of the Office of Price Administration will designate the stamps to be used for the purchase of a particular rationed product, the period during which each of these stamps may be used, and the amounts which may be bought with each stamp.

3) Stamps become valid for use only when and as directed by the Orders of the Office of Price Administration.

4) Unless otherwise announced, the Ration Week is from Saturday midnight to the following Saturday midnight.

5) War Ration stamps may be used in any reatil store in the United States.

6) War Ration Stamps may be used only by or for the person named and described in the War Ration Book.

7) Every person must see that this War Ration Book is kept in a safe place and properly used. Parents are responsible for the safekeeping and use of their children's War Ration Book.

8) When you buy any rationed product, the proper stamp must be detached in the presence of the storekeeper, his employee, or the person making the delivery on his behalf. If a stamp is torn out of the War Ration Book in any other way than above indicated, it becomes void. If a stamp is partly torn or mutilated and more than one half of it remains in the book, it is valid. Otherwise it becomes void.

9) If your War Ration Book is lost, destroyed, stolen or mutilated, you should report that fact to the local Ration Board.

10) If you enter a hospital, or other institution, and expect to be there for more than 10 days, you must turn your War Ration Book over to the person in charge. It will be returned to you upon your request when you leave.

11) When a person dies, his War Ration Book must be returned to the local Ration Board, in accordance with the regulations.

12) If you have any complaints, questions, or difficulties regarding your War Ration Book, consult your local Ration Board.

NOTE
The first stamps in War Ration Book One will be used for the purchase of sugar. When this book was issued, the registrar asked you, or the person who applied for your book, how much sugar you owned on that date. If you had any sugar, you were allowed to keep it, but stamps representing this quantity were torn from your group (except for a small amount which you were allowed to keep without loosing any stamps). 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.
SAMPLE RATION STAMPS
The following are examples of the stamps that were used to claim the rationed items. As it can be seen, the stamps had the name of the needed supply. Some stamps had the word "Spare" to indicate they could be employed for miscellaneous resources.






PRICING GUIDE INFORMATION

The value for WWII US field gear and other military antiques and collectibles is provided as a means to educate the collector community and individuals who have a general interest on the field. The following is an estimated value. Prices may vary in every state and every country. This service is provided courtesy of MilitaryItems.com. The source for military antiques and collectibles in the web.

Year 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
Value $10.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00
Availability Common Common Common Common Common
Invest Grade C C C C C


While the item featured here is not for sale, similar items like it are available for purchase in our website MilitaryItems.com


 
� 1997 - 2022 MilitaryItems.com - All rights reserved.