Clinker

You probably know about the population explosion of Japan about the time World War I ended. At the same time Japan was running out of raw materials needed for their industrial goals and for the arms and equipment needed to keep their military might intact.

You, also, probably know about Japan's military occupation of China. Because of their need for more land room (living space) and those raw materials, the Japanese heirarchy began planning the conquest of the Adriatic and South Sea countries.

One of those countries was Manchuria.

Many wealthy Japanese had large size investments in towns and cities throughout Manchuria. On a contrived incident, Japan moved it's troops into Manchuria and quickly took control. They changed the name to Manchoukuo and declared it a separate entity. To maintain control of this vast area, they brought in a former ruler of Manchuria and set him up as a puppet ruler. Over the next few years they annexed some of the nearby territories and soon controlled everything North of the Great Wall.

As they controlled more and more of China including it's most important ports, they discovered the need to produce currency and coinage to keep the economy of the occupied area working. The Central Bank of Japan was set up as the controlling bank of all banks and their branches in the occupied territory.

With Japan's attention turned to it's conflict with the United States of America, during 1944 and 1945 a shortage of metal needed to strike coins occured in Manchoukuo.

At first aluminum coins were struck, but even that metal became scarce and the Japanese occupiers had to come up with an alternative which resulted in five of the most unusual coins ever struck. In late '44 they created a compressed fiber coin. 5-Fen pieces were minted in a red version of this fiber. In early '45 Fen and Five-Fen pieces were struck in the red fiber. Later in '45, Fen and 5-Fen pieces were struck in a brown fiber.

You can look these unusual coins up in the Krause-Mishler 2007 World Coins - 1901 through 2000 under China/Japanese Puppet States.

Clinker

satootoko

The use of fiber, caused by wartime shortages, may have been based on the earlier use by the US of the same material for the production of "red point" and "blue point" rationing tokens. Each family had an allottment of red points for meat and blue points for other restricted foodstuffs, including sugar. Booklets of multi-point stamps (10 if I recall correctly) were issued, and the fiber tokens were used by merchants to "make change". Those tokens are another form of collectible exonumia.

After I unload the pictures taken on my recent vacation trip, I'll try taking pictures of some Manchukuo coins, and some ration tokens and post them in this thread, but since the markings are depressions in a paper-like material the tokens are very difficult to photograph, and just about impossible to scan.

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Roy

jody526

Here's a bus fare, used in the 1940's, from the "Rapid Transit Company", which was located in my hometown, Martinsville, VA. ( Atwood 530A 16mm red fiber)




I also have the metal version. (Atwood 530B 16mm brass)

Clinker

You're right. I had to take a food rationing token with me to buy butter and my dad had to have some to purchase gasoline!

I'll watch for your photo.

Clinker

Just Carl

Well don't forget we right here in the USA at one time and in some states had plastic Mill coins in .001 and .005 denominations.

Krasnaya Vityaz

Adriatic countries would be Italy(ally of Japan) and Italy's occupied Jugoslavia and Greece.

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Разом нас багато, Нас не подолати! Ми не бидло! Ми не козли!

Aidan Work

Don't forget that Germany even issued hyperinflation tokens in porcelain during 1923 as well.

Aidan.

Clinker

Hey everybody,

thanks for your comments. These Japanese Occupation Fen and 5-Fen coins were struck for circulation as coins, not as tokens for food, gas or bus rationing, but as you all are comparing business struck coins and tokens here's an excerpt from the U.S.A. Office of Price Administration's information guide:

"All RED and BLUE stamps in War Ration Book 4 are Worth 10 POINTS EACH. RED and BLUE TOKENS are WORTH 1 POINT EACH. RED and BLUE TOKENS are used to make CHANGE for RED and BLUE stamps only when purchase is made. IMPORTANT! POINT VALUES of BROWN and GREEN STAMPS are NOT changed."

This government announcement was directed to the Home Front consumer during World War II. Mastering the language of rationing and living under its draconian rules became a necessary evil on the the road to victory.

Clinker

Krasnaya Vityaz

They saw not much of circulation, they more donation receipts/suvenirs than coins.

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Разом нас багато, Нас не подолати! Ми не бидло! Ми не козли!

Clinker

Krasnaya Vityaz:

Thanks for pointing that out. And remember, England went to rationing coupons, stamps and tokens before the USA did; They were in WWII before we were.

Clinker

bruce 1947

Clinker,
Every time you post, I learn something new it is just amazing to me now much knowledge is here at C T and how much people won't to share that knowledge with us all, thanks again.

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Cointalk member4713

Member Mesa coin club

Aidan Work

Clinker,Great Britain actually had rationing right up until 1954 for some strange reason.I'm not sure about other British Commonwealth countries such as New Zealand,Canada,South Africa,& Aussie though.

I have seen books & part-books of ration coupons,but I'm not aware of any ration tokens though.

Aidan.

Krasnaya Vityaz

Great Britain had greater share of population as soldiers occupying Germany and all of British colonial empire around world.

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Разом нас багато, Нас не подолати! Ми не бидло! Ми не козли!

Clinker

There are a lot of giving and sharing members of C.T. and that is why I visit often and try to help out when others request it. Many times someone else has already answered the questions or has given the proper instructions or the correct links to take care of the dilemma.

Clinker