9th SERIES
BUTTER RATION CARD
Issued under the Rationing Emergency Regulations 1942

During both world wars, foodstuffs like butter and essential commodities such as petrol were rationed. The printing industry was severely affected as machinery imports were disrupted as a result of naval blockades or abolished outright in instances of trade with Germany. Supplies of paper were rationed and only essential, official government printing was permitted. In 1942, a Government Services Paper Conservation Committee was established to field requests for paper from the government stores. Many commercial printers were faced with using up in-house stocks, and when these were exhausted, turning to less desirable and durable substitutes such as newsprint, wrapping paper, and inferior jobbing papers. This butter ration card exemplifies the depths to which printers were forced to turn to get the word out and is a rare example of contemporary ephemera. Ration books and petrol coupons represent the two key wartime printing jobs which were, perforce, carried out by the GPO with limited trained labour pools.