World War II propaganda bookmatches
Exhibitor : Ed Wright
These sets of covers with 12 different war propaganda designs were issued for sale in Canada in the early 1940’s by ‘The Book Match Mfrs. Ltd. Toronto’. Note the stock-design on the front cover which states that the Book Match sold for 1c for 30 matches. They were issued in various colours and may even have come in other colours as well. Note the 3/10c Excise Tax Paid imprint which further verifies when made. This value was required by law to be printed on match books of this size (30 matches), made for the home market, to prove the necessary tax had been paid and was in use between June 25th 1940 & March 22, 1949. Inside printing for private advertisers was an available option, at I am sure a nominal cost.
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These sets were also offered to private companies who could have their own specific message and/or address printed on the front cover instead of the stock design previously mentioned. These sets are known to exist with or without the Excise tax imprint, sometimes with adverts inside. Many of these companies sent their matches to Canadian troops overseas on which no tax levy was imposed and therefore the imprint was not required. These covers were printed on the inside with a standard message for the troops and were distributed through ‘The Overseas League (Canada)Tobacco Fund’.
These propaganda sets are highly sought-after by collectors around the globe. Due to National unrest and constraints, caused by the war, especially product shortages and rationing, hobbies and collecting items were not a priority so one must assume supply was limited. Many company flats have shown up, so collectors can still document these gems.
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