A
ration stamp or
ration card is a stamp or card issued by a government to allow the holder to obtain food or other
commodities that are in short supply during
wartime or in other emergency situations when
rationing is in force. Ration stamps were widely used during World War II by both sides after hostilities caused interruption to the normal supply of goods. They were also used after the end of the war while the economies of the belligerents gradually returned to normal.