Victory Loans and War Savings

An envelope designed to contain stamp folders for War Savings Certificates. 

Canadians buying war bonds during the Second World War would have kept theirs in envelopes similar to this one. The war bonds and war savings certificates would have been taken to branches of the Canadian Bank of Commerce for safekeeping until their maturity date. 

The Second Victory Bond became available for purchase to Canadians on February 16, 1942. This bond includes the regulations and norms that would have applied to the Second Victory Bond. Those interested in acquiring this bond would have purchased it by including the acknowledgement of application at the bottom of the document. 

During the Second World War, War Savings Certificates were a practical way to invest one's money while also helping the Canadian war effort. In other words, it was a patriotic way to put one's money "to work." This envelope would have been used by a civilian worker to purchase and register their War Savings Certificates through mail.  

The federal government used every tactic to convince Canadians to help finance the Second World War domestically - including mobilizing cartoon figures by Walt Disney.

To prepare people to support the last Victory Loan, organizers in Nova Scotia outlined how their previous investments had been spent.

This postcard was sent to a soldier, likely by his former co-workers in Wallaceburg, Ontario, to celebrate their success in the 1943 Victory Bond campaign.

This booklet stressed that money generated in the 1917 Victory Loan campaign would only be spent for war purposes, and would only be spent in Canada.

Carrying interest rates of between 5% and 5.5%, Canada's Victory Loans represented a sound investment, and an excellent opportunity to show patriotism by supporting the war effort.

This war savings stamp honoured Captain Francis Scrimger of Montreal, who won the Victoria Cross at the Second Battle of Ypres in April 1915.