"High Sign for Victory! Boost your Payroll Savings" Vintage WWII U.S. Treasury Poster, 1944

Presented is an original WWII U.S. Treasury Poster, issued to encourage railway workers to purchase War bonds through the Payroll Savings Program. The poster was issued in 1944. The poster shows a railroad worker, hanging off the side of a train, swinging a lantern. The text “‘High Sign’ for Victory!” is printed at top in bold white script. At the bottom, the poster encourages readers to “Boost Your Payroll Savings” in bold white and red block letters. 

During WWII, the government received funding directly from United States citizens in the form of war saving bonds and stamps, which were paid back later with interest. Purchasing war bonds was viewed as a way for American citizens to support the war effort. Bonds became a symbol of patriotic duty in the United States and introduced the idea of financial securities to many citizens for the first time.

Employees could authorize a certain allotment from each paycheck to be saved towards the purchase of a war savings bond. Known as the Payroll Savings Plan, the employer would deliver the bond out of the designated savings from his paycheck. There was an outpouring of poster art on both the local and national levels for these loan programs.

CONDITION:

Good condition overall, considering age and past use. Original color lithograph. Very vibrant coloration. Paper is healthy, save fold lines from past storage and slight creasing in poster margins. Poster is printed with "U.S. Government Printing Office: 1944-O-572593" at left, "Official U.S. Treasury Poster" at center and "Buy War Bonds" shield logo and "WFD 886" at right corner. The poster is stamped and dated "March 31, 1944" in the poster image. The poster is sold unframed, as-is. Unframed Dimensions: 14"H x 10" W.