History and Other Information
- OPA stands for Office of Price Administration
- Rationing was first started in 1942. Items that were rationed include canned goods, meats, sugar, coffee, tires, gas and more.
- The Office of Price Administration used OPA stamps, coins, and chits for rationing.
- OPA coins (commonly called OPAs) were used for change for food.
- OPAs were used by retailers to give change back for food bought with ration stamps.
- Blue tokens were used for processed foods; red tokens for meats and fats.
- OPAs were first issued in 1944
- Stopped being issued in 1945
- Nobody has found a true reason for the letters on the OPA’s. Theories include, they are random; demographics; and prevention of counterfeiting.
- Red letter combinations known. HC, HT, MM, MV, TH, TY, UC, UH, UT, UV, UX, UY, VC, VH, VT, VU, VX, VY, XC, XH, XT, XU, XV, XY, YC, YH, YT, YU, YV, YX.
- Blue letter combinations known. CC, CH, CT, CV, CX, HH, HU, HV, HX, HY, TC, TT, TU, TV, TX, UU, VV, WC, WH, WT, WU, WW, XX, YY
- The rarest is the red MV. The next rarest are the blue WH and then red MM and the blue CX and WC. Then blue WW and XX. The rest are fairly easy to find. Reds are a lot more common than blues.
- Error OPAs are worth a little more. There is a good example at the end of this page.
- OPA tokens were used for rationing during World War II
- There are 30 different red tokens and 24 blue ones.
- They are all vulcanized fiber (celluloid) and 16mm in size.
- Blue ones read: OPA Blue Point 1 (with two different letters)
- Red ones read: OPA Red Point 1 (with two different letters)
Token Order Form
Token Order Form
Available Tokens
RED OPA’S
HC 40c
HT 40c
MM $5.00
MV Sold Out
TH $2.00
TY 40c
UC 40c
UH 40c
UT 40c
UV $2.00
UX 40c
UY 40c
VC 40c
VH 40c
VT 40c
VU $2.00
VX 40c
VY 40c
XC $3.50
XH 40c
XT 40c
XU 40c
XV 40c
XY 40c
YC $4.00
YH 40c
YT $4.65
YU 40c
YV 40c
YX 40c
**SPECIAL** Complete set of the above red OPAs without the MV $17.95 (Sold Out)
**SPECIAL** 50 mixed red OPAs (20+ different.) $10.00 ppd.
BLUE OPA’S
CC 80c
CH $2.00
(Sold out) CT $2.00
CV $2.00
CX $5.00
HH 80c
HU 80c
HV 80C
HX $2.00
HY 80c
TC 80c
TT $2.00
TU 80c
TV 80c
TX 80c
UU 80c
VV 80c
WC $21.00
WH $40.00
WT $25.00
(Sold out) WU $2.00
(Sold out) WW $4.00
XX $4.00
YY 80c
(Sold out) **SPECIAL** 250 mixed blue OPAs (18+ different.) $50.00 ppd.
(Sold out) **SPECIAL** All the blue OPAs except WC and WH $29.95 ppd.
**SPECIAL** 100 mixed red OPAs (25+ different) $18.00 ppd.
**SPECIAL** 500 mixed red OPAs (25+ different) $75.00 ppd.
Canada Meat $2.50
ERROR OPA’S
The following is an example of an error OPAs. The pictures were sent to me by Dan Orbeck. As you can see OPAs can be struck, by mistake, more than one time. They are also not always centered when struck.
Blue CC (Minor off center) $1.50
Blue CC (Minor off center) $1.50
Blue HH (Minor off center) $1.50
Blue TV (Minor off center) (Faded) $1.50
Blue YY (Minor off center) $1.50
Red Blank Planchet (Blank on both sides) $8.00
Red Blank Planchet (Blank on both sides) $8.00
Red HT (Minor off center) $1.50
Red TY (Way off center) $7.00
Red UY (Minor off center) $1.50
Red UY (Minor off center) $1.50
Red VC (Way off center) (Clipped) $11.00
Red VC (Way off center) $7.00
Red VC (Minor off center) $1.50
Red VH (Minor off center) $1.50
Red VT (Minor off center) $1.50
Red VU (Way off center) $7.00
Red VX (Minor off center) $1.50
Red XC (Minor off center) $1.50
Red XT (Minor off center) $1.50
Red XT (Minor off center) $1.50
Red XT (Minor off center) $1.50
Red XT (Minor off center) $1.50
Red XT (Minor off center) $1.50
Red XU (off Center & Clipped) $8.00
Red XV (Minor off center) $1.50
Red XV Way off center) (half is faded) $5.00
Red YH (Minor off center) $1.50
Red YT (Double Clipped) (Way Off Center) $12.50
Red YU (Minor off center) $1.50
Red YU (Clipped and off center) $5.00
Red YX (minor off center) $1.50
Red ?? (Very rare – Way off center – Only the top of a R on one side by edge. The other side is bottom of P.) $80.00