"Wanted- Fighting Dollars. Make Every Pay-Day Bond-Day" Vintage WWII Defense Bonds Poster, 1942

Presented is an original WWII U.S. Treasury Poster, issued to encourage workers to purchase War bonds through the Payroll Savings Program. The poster was issued in 1942 and illustrated by  J. Walker Wilkinson and his son Walter G. Wilkinson, who signed their collaborative work “Wilkinsons.” The poster shows a man showing off his $25 Defense Bond with a smile. The top of the poster reads "Wanted- Fighting Dollars" in bold white block letters. It encourages viewers to “Make Every Pay-Day Bond-Day” and "Ask about our payroll savings plan" at the bottom. 

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 and corners. The poster is stamped “Form DSS 189" at bottom left margin and "U.S. Government Printing Office: 1942-O-437059" at bottom right margin. The poster is sold unframed, as-is. Unframed Dimensions: 14" H x 10" W.