Case with ration card
During the First and Second World Wars, ration cards were distributed to households. The reason was that there was a shortage of essential goods. The cards were left in the shop when people made their purchases. The trader, in turn, had to show the cards he received from his customers in order to renew his stock.
Food ration cards were required for meat, milk, butter, bread, eggs, coffee, among other things. They were also needed for shoes, clothes, tobacco, detergents, etc. The many cards could be stored easily in special cases with printed headings.