Museum Collections

The Office of Price Administration (OPA) was established during World War II to prevent wartime inflation. In April 1942, OPA issued a general maximum-price regulation that enforced price controls for most commodities and residential rents. These regulations were gradually modified and extended by OPA administrators until almost 90% of retail food prices were frozen. In addition to controlling prices, OPA was also empowered to ration scarce consumer goods in wartime by issuing ration books, coupons, and tokens such as these "Red Points." Tires, automobiles, sugar, gasoline, fuel oil, coffee, meats, and processed foods were ultimately rationed. At the end of the war, rationing was abandoned and price controls were gradually abolished.