Winston Churchill’s famous “V for Victory” sign was one of his trademarks, and provided a shot in the arm to the fighting spirit of the brave people of the beleaguered British Isles during the darkest days of World War II. From everyday citizens to the highest Marshalls in the English army, every man, woman, and child was behind Churchill and his indomitable spirit. On December 7, 1941 the U.S. entered the war. Hundreds of thousands of American GIs passed through the British Isles during the war years, many of whom would spend the remainder of the war slogging through the battlefields of Europe, fighting the Nazi menace and liberating nations. One of my favorite exonumia items is a small WW II helmet attached to an embossed “V” for Victory. Both pieces are made from Lincoln cents. The helmet was made from a cent dated 1935, but only the 19 of the date can be seen on the “V” portion of the item. Such war-time trinkets also fall into a discipline called “trench art,” a search I use frequently while looking for neat items for my ever-expanding collection. As far as “neat” goes, this link to Churchill and the dark days of WW II ranks high up on my chart!
