The drastic deterioration of the food supply caused by the British sea blockade, the collapse in agricultural production, as well as errors and shortages in distribution, made it necessary to ration food. For this purpose, food ration cards and food stamps were issued to the population. The bread stamp was the first to be introduced, on 25 January 1915. Stamps were later added for meat, fat, eggs, milk and other foodstuffs. 

In the Deutsche Bücherei, procurement papers such as ration cards and token money from the years 1914 and 1919 were registered in an acquisition list under Miscellaneous. By 1917 there were over 7,000 registered items. Originally it was not intended to collect procurement papers, but because of their cultural and historical significance some were even displayed in the War Exhibition of 1916. The food stamps, together with other special material, were handed over to the Stuttgart World War Library after the war.