Once a persons ration stamps were used up for a month. In britain, during the first world war, 1914 to 1918, queues for food had become dangerously long. According to the calculator, if your bonds are the series e bonds that were used to finance world war ii, theyre worth at least. Government printing office in 1943 for use during world war 2. Critical goods were ration to american citizens using coupon books issued by the. Hello, tanya if your 1944 lincoln cent sticks to a magnet, the next step in verifying its authenticity is to weigh the coin.
By this time canada was not only sending food for the troops but for prisoners of war, starving refugees from wartorn countries, and to alleviate britains worsening food position. 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. It marks the comeback of lincoln cents from the 1943 steelies to the standard copper wheaties. If your 1944 penny sticks to a magnet, its a steel cent and is rare. I tried my 1943 steel penny on the magnet and it has a stronger attraction that the 1944 one and the 1944 one is very shiny compared to the 1943 one. If you find a 1943 or 1944 wheat penny, using a magnet to check its metal content is easy. Why are 1943 copper and 1944 steel lincoln cent errors so valuable.
Oct 27, 2017 meat ration coupons were suspended in march, 1944 and then a second round of meat rationing was instigated in sept 1945. The mint made millions of 1944 lincoln cents so why does. Lincoln cent 19091958 collectors folder warmans collector coin folders warmans on. Home page ration book search why war ration book no. Wheat pennies started in 1909 and lasted until 1958. Unsearched wheat penny roll wsilver mercury dime end old us coin shotgun lot mixed years circulated vintage collector. Jun 02, 20 what is the value of war ration book no. Any idea why it is so shiny, magnetic and has copper marks. Civilians first received ration bookswar ration book number one, or the sugar bookon 4 may 1942, through more than 100,000 schoolteachers, pta groups, and other volunteers 7. If your 1944 penny does not stick to a magnet, its made from copper and is common. State delaware 1944 wheat mint minor aging good shape very good condition.
I have a 1944 d wheat penny with a couple things that are different from. Civilians were not able to purchase tires during the war without showing a need in support of the war. It melted down spent casings left behind during combat and created a penny that circulated from 1944 to 1946. The government also produced a few steel wheat pennies in 1944 by mistake.
The scheme involved the customer handing over her ration book and asking for. This page also shows coins listed for sale so you can buy and sell. Unfollow 1944 steel wheat penny to stop getting updates on your ebay feed. Lets delve deeper into this wheat head to know its real value. In 1944 there were 282,760,000 1944 s pennies minted in all. The above photo are blue ration stamps from a real war ration book number two. During world war ii, the war effort required a lot of copper to make shell casings and munitions. A ministry of food was created to help with the homefront food situation. Top 154 books published in 1944 that people have added on goodreads. The coins grade determines its value to coin collectors. Bread, which was never rationed during wartime, was put on the ration in july 1946.
Ask anyone who remembers life on the home front during world war ii about their strongest memories and chances are they will tell. To participate in the forum you must log in or register. The unique composition of the coin lowgrade steel coated with zinc, instead of the previously 95%copperbased bronze composition has led to various nicknames, such as wartime cent, steel war penny, and steelie. If it didnt have magnetic attraction i would guess it was a fake from what i have been reading. A bas relief panel on the world war ii memorial in washington, d.
Meat rationing in world war ii the british columbia food. The government produced around 1,435,400,000 of these pennies in 1944. The 1944 lincoln penny is scarce, which makes it valuable, but collectors and investors know the. What is the value of war ration book four with stamps inside. By continuing to use this site you consent to the use of cookies on your device as described in our cookie policy unless you have disabled them. The ration books contained removable stamps good for certain rationed items, like sugar, meat, cooking oil, and canned goods. A continuing thread post your recent tokens, medals, exonumia acquisition. The paper stubs, or stamps, in each ration book purchased rationed consumer goods and foods. Eventually, the mint settled on using steel coated with zinc and. Meat was the last item to be derationed and food rationing ended completely in 1954. Responding to the public outcry during a time of rations, officials in the u. Individuals used these books daily to purchase rationed goods such as sugar, butter, beefsteak, and gas. Permission to publish material from the world war ii rationing stamps program must be obtained from the special collections manuscript curator andor the special collections department head. Etsy is the home to thousands of handmade, vintage, and oneofakind products and gifts related to your search.
Discussion in paper money started by mpcusa, jul 11, 2016. While most pennies are only worth a few bucks, highly coveted ones might be sitting in your pocket or stuck somewhere in your couch cushions. I am cited in this book as a provider of information on 1943 coppers and 1944 steel cents ny. The most common war ration book material is cotton. Each book required different identification and some were more detailed than others. 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. April 1943 united states office of war information, overseas picture division. Steel will stick to the magnet, but copper will not. More than 8,000 ration boards across the country administered the program. United states mint in philadelphia a book that explores the colorful history of. Roosevelt suggested the addition of a native american war bonnet, stating.
We use cookies to give you the best possible experience on our website. No matter what youre looking for or where you are in the world, our global marketplace of sellers can help you find unique and affordable options. The melt value shown below is how valuable the coins metal. The war ration stamps are very common and the demand for them in the collectors circle is not very high.
Food on the home front during the second world war wartime. If you happen to find a wheat penny in your possession, it would be worth checking the date against the list before spending it. The first card, war ration card number one, became known as the sugar book, for one of the. On august 15, 1945, world war ii gas rationing was ended on the west coast of the united states. It was thought that even if japan does not fold now, the war will certainly be over before the books can be used. Each book contained between 7 and 10 panes of sequentially numbered coupons, and a postcard that needed to be sent in to get the next book. Answered by a verified antique expert we use cookies to give you the best possible experience on our website. We know that wheat pennies were minted from 1909 to 1958. The lincoln cent is a onecent coin that has been struck by the united states mint since 1909.
Facts about wheat pennies wheat pennies wheat pennies. Every american was issued a series of ration books during the war. Although not necessary for survivalthough thats debatablecoffee has been a staple in the american diet since the boston tea party, and coffee rationing was extremely unpopular. 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.
In 1943 the penny was made out of zinc plated steel to save copper for the war effort which is why most 1943 pennies are silver colored. The value of those particular coins are almost priceless. The 1943 steel cent features the same victor david brenner design for the lincoln cent which had been in use since the first in 1909. Beware, however, of regular 1922d cents which have had their d mintmarks worn off by unscrupulous types. Find out here if its worth just a few cents, or if youve got a rare 1944 steel penny. One of the more inexpensive pennies is the 1944 wheat penny. Details about 1944 lincoln wheat penny unique rare coin unique collectors coin penny. The items rationed included canned goods, meats, sugar, coffee, tires, gas and more.
Food shortages and rationing ww2 spartacus educational. In 1942 rationing had started for sugar, gasoline and other goods. Why are 1943 copper and 1944 steel lincoln cent errors so. 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 ubiquitous ration book would ultimately become the most vivid and lasting. What you need to know about rationing in the second world war. Citizens had to put up with blackouts, raid sirens, rationing and shortages, but they needed good and usable coinage, and something they would not stand for was the substandard quality of the then new steel pennies of 1943.
Jan 28, 2020 the 1943 steel wheat penny was produced for one year during the second world war, due to the u. Once a persons ration stamps were used up for a month, she couldnt buy any more of that type of food. By the time the war broke out in september 1939 the british government had already been. They are wheat pennies from the world war ii era that are made from spent copper shell cases used for ammunition. Save penny 1944 steel to get email alerts and updates on your ebay feed. World war ii opa red point ration tokens wwii, rare mm. Lincoln cent 19091958 collectors folder warmans collector coin folders. Rationing was a fact of life during world war ii, and americans. Its really easy to tell if you have a 1944 steel penny or 1944 copper cent. We would like to show you a description here but the site wont allow us. With the pending capitulation of japan, the printing of ration books for 1946 was halted by the opa on august, 1945. May 03, 2011 british shopkeeper cancelling coupons. Did you scroll all this way to get facts about war ration book. June 1942 on the basis of ration books, although retailers were allowed from.
A coin with moderate wear but whose design is legible is likely to be graded as fine worth 9 cents. Both the obverse and the reverse were designed by victor david brenner a new york sculptor. The cherry pickers guide the official red book a guide. New to coin collecting do i have a rare quarter or not.
It was not until the early 1950s that most commodities came off the ration. By 1944, however, it was decided that the benefits gained from this substitution were not significant enough to warrant the effort, and so copper penny production. During world war ii, the war effort required a lot of copper to make shell casings. The lincoln cent sometimes called the lincoln penny is a onecent coin that has been struck by the united states mint since 1909. Each stamp was illustrated with a military symbol such as a naval ship, airplane, tank, gun, horn of plenty or torch of liberty, adding a patriotic flair. Jan 31, 20 the small coins introduced in 1944 were used by retailers to give change back for food bought with ration stamps. Special relics from wwii, lincoln shell case pennies have a direct connection to the international conflict that spanned from 1939 through 1945. A person could not buy a rationed item without also giving the grocer the right ration stamp. Ration book four also introduced red and blue cardboard tokens, each valued at onepoint, to be used as change for ration coupon purchases.
It began by stockpiling sugar and wheat, while making preparations for a national rationing scheme. Unfollow world war 2 ration books to stop getting updates on your ebay feed. At its 1944 peak, it was estimated that upwards of 209,200 victory gardens. Jun 28, 2012 i got a 1944 wheat penny from a store then i looked at it carefully and noticed that under the year it had a d. The 1943 silver colored penny is a wartime coin issue made of steel and coated with zinc. Unlike lincoln cents made from 1909 to 1942, which are 95 percent copper and 5 percent tin and zinc, lincoln cents from 1944, 1945, and. Monday, february 7, 2011 by sarah sundin rationing was an important part of life in the united states during world war ii. This meant planning meals carefully, being creative with menus, and not wasting food. The 1943 steel wheat penny was produced for one year during the second world war, due to the u.
A few 1943 bronze cents and 1944 steel cents are known to exist, and they are valuable. The obverse or heads side was designed by victor david brenner, as was the original reverse, depicting two stalks of wheat thus wheat pennies, struck 19091958. Of course this figure doesnt reflect the mint proofs that could have been minted that year at the san francisco mint and only includes the amount of 1944 s wheat pennies that were poured into circulation. This glass penny, manufactured in the 1940s during a copper. Rationing of processed foods started march 1st, 1943. Unfollow 1944 penny to stop getting updates on your ebay feed. Examples were discovered after the war, with the first two in 1947, and another in 1958. I will do a part two for the food stamps taking it into 1944 as our research continues. Between 1942 1947, the government issued four different series of ration books. Another test you can conduct on your 1944 pennies is to weigh them.
The 1944 s wheat penny was minted in 1944 at the san francisco california mint. Ration stamps became a kind of currency with each family being issued a war ration book. In all, 1944 steel cents are fewer in number than their 1943 copper counterparts. As early as 1944, wheat pennies were again made mostly of copper, but any minted in 1943 would have been brought into circulation by accident. Ration book four was printed in red, blue and green.
Before the second world war started britain imported about 55 million tons of food a. This ration book belonged to luella runck of oxford, indiana. A total of 6 different war ration books were issued from 1942 to 1945. The 1944 lincoln penny is particularly desirable in the eyes of collectors not only because of its design, but also due to its scarcity. 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. In 1944, the united states was embroiled in the bloody conflict of wwii.