WWII Savings Bonds and Stamps

August 04, 2022

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.

There was an outpouring of poster art on both the local and national levels for these loan programs, including the posters below, all of which we recently added to our Colorado shop inventory.

Printed for the U.S. Treasury Department, this 1942 poster above was among the most popular created during the war. It was issued in a number of sizes and reproduced at large scale on highway billboards. The quotation is drawn from President Roosevelt’s May 27, 1941 Fireside Chat, in which he argued for speedy delivery of emergency military supplies to Great Britain, adding: “I say that this can be done; it must be done; and it will be done.”

This 1941 poster shown above reads, "For Defense. Buy United States Savings Bonds and Stamps. Ask About Our Pay Roll Allotment Plan." 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. 

Issued a year later this 1942 poster’s bold lettering, "Attack Attack Attack” and “Buy War Bonds," is a dramatic call to action - encouraging onlookers to give needed financial backing for their country and military. 

These designs are just a few of the many WWII Savings Bond posters we have in our extensive poster inventory. I invite readers to peruse our website or visit our Colorado Springs store in person, to see our collection.

Share:

---

Also in Blog