Hold Your Victory Bonds and War Savings Certificates (Use Only in Case of Emergency)
A fire bucket labelled FIRE beside the stencilled words 'Use only in case of emergency', over a block of text advising holders not to redeem bonds but to borrow against them at a bank, with safe-keeping charges listed. The tell for glittering-generalities is the phrase 'the safest investment in the world', offered without a comparison, within otherwise concrete instructions.
Propaganda techniques used in this poster
- Date
- 1939
- Period
- Second World War
- Made by
- National War Finance Committee (design courtesy Better Business Bureau of Ottawa and Hull Inc.)
- Region
- North America
- Country
- Canada
- Medium
- Poster
- Issuer type
- State
- Regime
- Mackenzie King Government
- Leader
- William Lyon Mackenzie King
- Audience
- Domestic public
- Purpose
- Persuade or win support
- Themes
- Economy and finance, Home front
- Event
- World War II
- Source
- Identified Openly sourced: the speaker is who they say they are
- Source
- U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, Record Group 44, World War II Foreign Posters, retrieved October 3, 2026
- Rights
- Held by NARA, Unrestricted; hosted by owner decision
National War Finance Committee, National Archives and Records Administration, 44-PF-713.
Text on the object
USE ONLY IN CASE OF EMERGENCY [bucket:] FIRE When you need cash for any personal emergency ... it is unnecessary to sell your Victory Bonds! Here's what to do: Simply go to your Bank and arrange for a loan. The Bank will hold your Victory Bonds as security for the loan and return them to you when the loan is repaid. In the meantime, the interest is still credited to you! War Savings Certificates can be redeemed after six months by filling out the form on the reverse side of the Certificate and mailing it to The Registrar, War Savings Certificates, Ottawa. REMEMBER: It was your desire to help the war effort and your confidence in Canada's future that influenced you to put your savings into Victory Bonds and War Savings Certificates-the safest investment in the world! So-let nothing but dire necessity or urgent personal emergency influence you to "touch" your investments in Victory Bonds and War Savings Certificates! Should the occasion arise, don't sell or redeem your Victory Bonds-but use them as security in arranging a loan at your bank. In that way you will retain your investment and reap the interest. To enable you to preserve your war securities from danger by loss of fire or theft, Canada's Chartered Banks offer a safe-keeping service: VICTORY BONDS-Your bank will put them into safe keeping for you, clipping coupons on interest dates and depositing the money in your name. The total charge is 25 cents a year on Bonds (no matter how many) up to $250.00 ... one-tenth of one per cent on amounts over $250.00. WAR SAVINGS CERTIFICATES-You can lodge them also with your bank ... which will take them into safe keeping and for just one small charge cover the whole time (or any part of it) from purchase to maturity. The total charge-for 7 1/2 years-is as follows: For a $5.00 Certificate .... $0.10 | For a $50.00 Certificate ... $0.25 For a $10.00 Certificate .... .15 | For a $100.00 Certificate ... .50 For a $25.00 Certificate .... .20 | For a $500.00 Certificate ... 1.00 NATIONAL WAR FINANCE COMMITTEE Design courtesy Better Business Bureau of Ottawa and Hull Inc. HOLD your VICTORY BONDS AND WAR SAVINGS CERTIFICATES
