Ration coupons and distribution cards

On this page you will find original ration coupons and distribution cards from Dordrecht during the war.

To provide the entire population with food during times of scarcity, the Dutch government decided to introduce rationing. For this purpose, the government used distribution stamp cards and coupons. This ensured a fair distribution of foodstuffs. Below you can see examples of such coupons and distribution stamp cards from the municipality of Dordrecht and surrounding areas.

The distribution stamp card cannot be viewed separately from the history of the Second World War. As in the rest of the country, the card was also used in the municipality of Dordrecht. There was a first and a second model. The first model was introduced at the end of September 1939. To provide the entire population with food during times of scarcity, the Dutch government decided to introduce rationing. The government used stamp cards for this purpose. This ensured a fair distribution of foodstuffs and discouraged hoarding.

The second‑model distribution stamp card was introduced by the German occupier. It was implemented at the end of 1943 as a countermeasure against the many forged identity cards that were in circulation. During the war, the Germans decided to introduce a second type of stamp card in order to cut off the many people in hiding from the distribution of foodstuffs. This stamp card was linked to the identity card by means of a seal, making it nearly impossible for people in hiding to obtain one. This was one of the reasons why the resistance frequently targeted distribution offices and made extensive efforts to forge stamp cards and identity cards.

The distribution stamp card was the proof that someone was entitled to ration coupons, which were needed to buy scarce products. Boxes on the card were crossed off or stamped to record which ration coupons had been issued. This prevented double issuance, enabled verification through the population register (and later also the identity card), and served as administration for the distribution service. In practice, one would present the stamp card at the distribution office, receive the ration coupons for that period, after which the clerk marked on the stamp card that the coupons had been issued.