Original Item: Only One Available. This is a wonderful example of what would have been a “raffle prize” of sorts from the 7th War Loan Drive. This “souvenir” is a 4” x 4” oiece of Super Duraluminum Clad (rolled after temper) and is confirmed by the Japanese romanji script markings on the back (SDCR), further confirming the origin being Japanese. Sumitomo Metals in Japan used acronyms SDCH, SDCR and SDCO as stencils applied to aluminum used to manufacture aircraft. These black stenciled letters were applied to interior surfaces of aluminum on Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) and Japanese Army Air Force (JAAF) aircraft.

The paint present is retained quite well and the following text is still able to be read in its entirety:

7TH WAR LOAN
SOUVENIR OF A JAP
-ZERO-

________________________

ECLIPSE-1945

The “Eclipse 1945” part we believe to be for the Solar eclipse of July 9, 1945. The condition is very nice though the aluminum sheeting is a little warped, perfect for a framing project.

Comes more than ready for further research and display.

War bonds (sometimes referred to as victory bonds, particularly in propaganda) are debt securities issued by a government to finance military operations and other expenditure in times of war without raising taxes to an unpopular level. They are also a means to control inflation by removing money from circulation in a stimulated wartime economy. War bonds are either retail bonds marketed directly to the public or wholesale bonds traded on a stock market. Exhortations to buy war bonds have often been accompanied by appeals to patriotism and conscience. Retail war bonds, like other retail bonds, tend to have a yield which is below that offered by the market and are often made available in a wide range of denominations to make them affordable for all citizens.