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Ration Coupons

From 1958 to 1996 in Tibet basic commodities like grains, cloth, cotton, fuel, food oil but also meat etc. were rationed. Here a collection of ration coupons.

Grain

Grain coupons were issued only irregularly with issues from 1960 featuring a truck with a plow, 1963 (animal feed grain) with a yak and the Potala palace in the back, 1966 (only for military personnel) with trucks on a mountain road, 1973 with sheep herds, a Tibetan couple at harvest with sickles, and (hard to believe!) a woman steering a tractor (!), 1976 showing modern communist architecture, with value 7 jin showing the Potala and 1996 (only for military personnel) with a mixture of communist achievement: trucks on a road and modern harvest machinery, and local specific themes: Yaks, Mount Everest and Potala Palace.
It is not known how long those coupons were in use (if only for the year of issue or longer). The missing years for grain coupons do not hint to grain not being rationed during the other years. Most rationing in Tibet did NOT happen through coupons but by grain books (liang ben), which were distributed to all families and where the names, age and occupation of all members were registered. Whenever purchasing grain the received amount of grain was noted down in the book until the ration for the family was used up. Then no more grain could be bought.

Bod rang skyong ljongs sgra sgrig u yon lhan khang gi 'bru rigs do dam cus. Sa gnas kyi 'gru'i phe'o.

Regional grain coupon of the Grain Adminsitration Office of the Preparatory committee of the Autonomous Region of Tibet.
1960.

Values 0,1/ 0,2/ 0,5/ 1/ 2/ 5 rgya ma (pounds)

Bod rang skyong ljongs sgra sgrig u yon lhan khang khongs bza' 'bru cus kyi sa gnas gzan chag gi lag 'khyer.
Regional fodder coupon of the Food and grain office of the Preparatory committee of the Autonomous Region of Tibet.

1962

1/ 2/ 5 rgya ma (pounds)

Military coupons

1966

Values: 0,1/ 0,5/ 1/ 2/ 5 Jin (500g)

Last value 5 Jin without and with additional quotation from Chairman Mao

Bod rang skyong ljongs kyi 'bru'i phi'o.

Grain coupon of the Tibetan Autonomous Region.

1973
Values 0,1/ 0,2/ 0,5/ 1/ 2/ 5 rgya ma (pounds)

Bod rang skyong ljongs bzo rigs ched spyod kyi 'bru 'dzin.

Grain coupon of workers of the Tibetan Autonomous Region.

1976
Values 1, 3, 5, 7 rgya ma (pounds)

Bod rang skyong ljongs bzo rigs ched spyod kyi 'bru 'dzin.

Grain coupon of workers of the Tibetan Autonomous Region.

1976
Values 9, 12, 14, 19, 22 rgya ma (pounds)

Military coupon

1996

Cloth

The cloth coupons (tib.: ras, chin.: bu) were issued from 1960 (according to some experts the issue 1960 is fake!), to 1984 without break. The issues 1960-1965 feature the Potala palace, starting with the issue 9.1965 until 1969 they feature yaks plowing a field. This is in stark contrast to the ration coupons of other Chinese provinces, where we find motives of socialist/ communist achievements and modernization: ships, plains, railway, trucks, tractors, power plants, modern industrial plants, and then like. Seems that the Autonomy of the TAR found it’s expression here.
The issues 1970 and 1971 feature a rising sun and with the issue 1972 the standardized all over China similar cloth coupons series start in fairly similar plain design until 1984.
Only the years 1974, 1975 and 1976 have a vertical format (making it easy to mix them with cotton (tib.: sring bal, chin.: xxx) coupons (which during exactly those years are horizontal and in all other years vertical - except the first edition of 1969).
The issues 1968 to 1971 feature “supreme teachings” or quotations of chairman Mao like “serve the masses” (1968 and 1969), or “the revolution has to be done economically” (1970 and 1971). Those coupons with yulu (Maos collected works quotations) are more expensive now in China since they are collected not only by ration coupons collectors bat also by Mao-nostalgia devotionals collectors.

All t he issues 1960 - 1971 show 7 different values for each year of 1, 2 and 5 tshon (chin.: xxx) showing the numerals 0,1/ 0,2/ 0,5 and 1, 2, 5 and 10 khre tse (chin.: xxx).

The issues 1972-1984 only have 6 values, 1 (0,1), 2 (0,2) and 5 (0,5) tshon and 1, 5 and 10 khre tse.

Bod ljongs sa khul.

Cloth coupons of the Tibetan Region valid from 1.1961 - 12.1961.

Values 0,5/ 1.

Bod sa khul gyi ras kyi phe'o.

Cloth coupons of the Tibetan Region valid from 1.9.1962 - 8.1963.

Values 1, 2, 5 and 10 khre tse. (Values 0,1/ 0,2/ 0,5 and 2 missing)

Bod sa khul gyi ras kyi phe'o.

Cloth coupons of the Tibetan Region valid from 1.9.1963 - 8.1964.

Values 0,5/ 1/ 5 and 10 khre tse.

Bod sa khul gyi ras kyi phe'o.

Cloth coupons of the Tibetan Region valid from 1.9.1964 - 8.1965.

Values 0,5/ 1/ 5 and 10 khre tse.

Bod sa khul gyi ras kyi phe'o.

Cloth coupons of the Tibetan Region valid from 1.9.1965 - 8.1966.

Values 0,2/ 0,5/ 1/ 2/ 5 and 10 khre tse.

Bod sa khul gyi ras kyi phe'o.

Cloth coupons of the Tibetan Region valid from 1.1.1967 - 12.1967.

Values 0,1/ 0,2/ 1/ 2/ 5 and 10 khre tse.

Bod sa khul gi ras gi phe'o.

Cloth coupons of the Tibetan Region valid from 1.1.1968 - 12.1968.

Values 0,1/ 0,2/ 0,5/ 2/ 5 and 10 khre tse.

Red inscription: Mao tse dong: "Serve the people"

Bod sa khul gi ras gi phe'o.

Cloth coupons of the Tibetan Region valid from 1.1.1969 - 12.1969.

Values 0,1/ 0,2/ 0,5/ 1/ 2/ 5 and 10 khre tse.

Red inscription: Mao tse dong: "Serve the people"

Bod sa khul gi ras gi phe'o.

Cloth coupons of the Tibetan Region valid from 1.1.1971 - 12.1971.
Values 0,1/ 0,2/ 0,5/ 1/ 5 and 10 khre tse.
Red inscription:
Supreme teaching: The revolution has to be done economically.

Bod sa khul gi ras gi phe'o.

Cloth coupons of the Tibetan Region valid from 1.1.1971 - 12.1971.
Values 0,1/ 1 and 10 khre tse.
Red inscription:
Supreme teaching: The revolution has to be done economically.

Bod ljongs sa khul gyi ras kyi phi'o.

Cloth coupons of the Tibetan Region valid 1973.
Value 5/ 10

Bod rang skyong ljongs gi ras gi phi'o.

Cloth coupons of the Tibetan Autonomous Region valid 1974.
Value 0,1/ 0,2/ 10

Bod rang skyong ljongs gi ras gi phi'o.

Cotton coupons of the Tibetan Autonomous Region valid 1975.

Value 0,1/ 0,2/ 0,5/ 1

Bod rang skyong ljongs kyi ras kyi phi'o.

Cloth coupons of the Tibetan Autonomous Region valid 1978.
Value 0,1/ 5

Bod rang skyong ljongs kyi ras kyi phi'o.

Cloth coupons of the Tibetan Autonomous Region valid 1980.
Value 1/ 10

Bod rang skyong ljongs kyi ras kyi phi'o.

Cloth coupons of the Tibetan Autonomous Region valid 1982.
Value 0,1/ 0,2

Bod rang skyong ljongs kyi ras kyi phi'o.

Cloth coupons of the Tibetan Autonomous Region valid 1983.
Value 0,1/ 0,5/ 1/ 5/ 10

Bod rang skyong ljongs kyi ras kyi phi'o.

Cloth coupons of the Tibetan Autonomous Region valid 1983.

Imprint: Piao yang (=Pattern)
Value 0,1/ 0,2/ 0,5/ 1/ 5/ 10

Bod rang skyong ljongs kyi ras kyi phi'o.

Cloth coupons of the Tibetan Autonomous Region valid 1984.
Value 0,1/ 0,2/ 0,5/ 1/ 5/ 10

Bod rang skyong ljongs kyi ras kyi phi'o.

Cloth coupons of the Tibetan Autonomous Region valid 1984.

Sheets of 50.
Value 0,1/ 0,2/ 0,5/ 1/ 5/ 10

Cotton

The issuing of (tib.: sring bal, chin.: xxx) coupons started only in 1969 with issues uninterupted until 1984. It is still not quite clear what this cotton means. Usually it is assumed that it is about cotton fabrique clothes. But this is actually not very popular and suited for the climate in Tibet. I got the information from one informant that it is unprocessed (unwoven) cotton, that is used for filling for bedding, fillings for blankets and cushions, fillings for coats, hats and gloves, and the like.
Issues 1969, 1974, 1975 and 1976 are in a horizontal format (making it easy to mix them up with the cloth coupons of those respective years), all other years in a vertical format.
The issues 1969, 1970 and 1971 have quotations from Maos collected works (yulu). 1969 has “the revolution has to be done economically” as well a kind of prayer “may Chairman Mao live forever”, a prayer that is usually used in a Tibetan context for the long life of high Lamas like His Holiness. The years 1970 and 1971 feature as a “supreme teaching” (1970) or “from Chairman Mao’s collected works” (1971) the same quotation: “adhering to the revolution, the economy has to be developed”.

All years of cotton coupons from 1969 until 1984 only seem to have 4 different values for each year (please correct me if I am wrong!): 1 sang (0,1), 2 sang (0,2) and 5 sang (0,5) and 1 rgya ma. 1 sang (chin.: liang) is 50 g, 1 rgya ma (chin.: jin) is 500 g.

Bod ljongs sa khul.
Sroing bal phi'o.

Cotton coupons of the Tibetan Region valid from 1.1.1969 - 31.12.1969.
Value 0,1/ 0,2/ 1

Red inscription on top:
May chairman Mao live for ever.
Red inscription in the book:
Supreme teaching: The revolution has to be done economically.

Bod ljongs sa khul.
Sring bal phi'o.

Cotton coupon of the Tibetan Region valid from 1.1.1970 - 12.1970.
Value 0,1/ 0,2/ 0,5/ 1 rgya ma (pound).

Inscription in the book:
Supreme teaching: While adhering to the revolution, the production has to be increased.

Bod ljongs sa khul.
Sring bal phi'o.

Sheet of 66 cotton coupons of the Tibetan Region valid from 1.1.1970 - 12.1970.
Value 1 rgya ma (pound).

Inscription in the book:
Supreme teaching: While adhering to the revolution, the production has to be increased.

Bod ljongs sa khul.
Sring bal phi'o.

Cotton coupon of the Tibetan Region valid from 1.1.1971 - 12.1971.
Value 0,1/ 1

Inscription in the book:
Supreme teaching: While adhering to the revolution, the production has to be increased.

Bod ljongs sa khul sring bal phi'o.

Cotton coupons of the Tibetan Region valid 1973.

Value 0,1/ 0,2/ 0,5/ 1