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M-II meat ration stamp
| Issuer | Polish People's Republic (Polska Rzeczpospolita Ludowa) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1989 (1988-1989) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Size | 79 x 55 mm |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Rezerwa M-II Mięso 600 g 1989-8 Mięso 500 g 1989-8 Mięso 500 g 1989-8 Mięso 300 g 1989-8 Woł., Ciel. z kością 700 g 1989-8 B 0178589 Mięso 300 g 1989-8 M-II nazwisko i imię Woł., Ciel. z kością 300 g 1989-8 Mięso 300 g 1989-8 adres: Rezerwa 5 1989-8 Rezerwa 6 1989-8 Mięso 100 g 1989-8 Mięso 100 g 1989-8 Mięso 300 g 1989-8 |
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| Reverse lettering | P.K.P. Odcinek Elektrotrakcyjny Wrocław |
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| Comments |
Poland's centrally planned distribution system relied on ration books (kartki) throughout much of the 1980s, with meat rationing introduced in 1981 following the shortages that had helped fuel the Solidarity movement. The M-II designation placed this stamp within a tiered meat allocation hierarchy — different categories applied to different demographic groups, including workers in heavy industry, children, and the general population. By 1989, the system was visibly collapsing alongside the economy it was meant to manage.
The watermark on a stamp of this denomination is a notable security measure for what was essentially a domestic rationing coupon — a sign of how aggressively the government feared forgery and black-market manipulation of the allocation system. Meat rationing was formally abolished in August 1989, making late-dated M-II stamps among the last issued before the entire kartki apparatus was wound down.