Summary

Alternative Name(s): Ration Ticket, Ration Coupons

Unused ration card for whole milk, issued in Leipzig district, Saxony, January 1920. It is printed German with a modern hand-written inscription at bottom.

The card was found with a small hand-written text label which suggests it may have been previously displayed by Museum Victoria with other ration cards. The text label reads: 'Six Ration Cards. Leipzig. Anhalt. Berlin / 1918 - 1923'.

Early in World War I the British established a naval blockade of Germany and its allies to exert economic pressure. The blockade even included foodstuffs, leading to significant shortages and even famine in Germany, which may have led to significant deaths from starvation (disagreement on the impacts of the blockade continues to this day). Rationing was introduced in an attempt to manage the crisis, continuing into the post-war years.

Physical Description

Thin paper sheet printed with a grid for each ration and German text. Handwritten text on front in English. Pin holes in each corner.

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