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ORIGINAL WWII OFFICE OF PRICE ADMINISTRATION RATIONING EPHEMERA
PETERBOROUGH, NEW HAMPSHIRE — WAR PRICE & RATIONING BOARD
SPECIAL SHOE STAMP NO. 1 AND OFFICIAL BUSINESS ENVELOPE
A fascinating two-piece grouping of original World War II American home-front rationing material, featuring a Special Shoe Stamp and an official-business envelope associated with the War Price & Rationing Board in Peterborough, New Hampshire.
ITEM 1 — OFFICIAL OPA ENVELOPE
Brown paper envelope bearing the printed heading:
OFFICE OF PRICE ADMINISTRATION
With red identification:
WAR PRICE & RATIONING BOARD
14.9.3
PETERBOROUGH, N. H.
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY
And the designation:
OFFICIAL BUSINESS
This envelope provides a direct connection to the local administration of federal wartime rationing in southern New Hampshire.
ITEM 2 — SPECIAL SHOE STAMP
Original gray paper ration stamp marked:
OPA R-1708
SPECIAL SHOE STAMP
GOOD FOR ONE PAIR OF SHOES
STAMP NO. 1
Includes printed spaces for the date issued and war ration book number.
HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE
During World War II, the United States government established extensive rationing programs to conserve essential materials and support the war effort.
The Office of Price Administration supervised civilian rationing and price controls, while local War Price and Rationing Boards administered many aspects of these programs within their communities.
Shoe rationing began in February 1943 because leather, rubber, and other materials were urgently needed for military production.
Special Shoe Stamps were part of the system used to administer shoe rationing, including certain exchanges and refunds.
The Peterborough envelope offers an especially interesting local connection to wartime New Hampshire, showing how the nationwide rationing program operated through county and community offices.
COLLECTOR INTEREST
An excellent historical grouping for collectors of:
World War II home-front memorabilia
Office of Price Administration documents
WWII ration stamps and coupons
American civilian wartime history
Peterborough, New Hampshire history
Hillsborough County historical ephemera
WWII government correspondence
Original 1940s paper collectibles
Wartime economic and social history
INCLUDED
One Office of Price Administration official-business envelope from Peterborough, New Hampshire.
One OPA R-1708 Special Shoe Stamp No. 1, good for one pair of shoes.
Both items are original wartime-era paper collectibles. Their original association with one another has not been documented.
The exact two items shown in the photographs are included.
