During WWI and WWII, War Savings Stamps were issued to help support the American war effort. Able to be purchased for 25 and 10 cents, they were reasonably inexpensive, and could be redeemed with interest at a later date — similar to War Bonds, but far less costly.
Most of the promotional posters used to encourage people to buy War Savings Stamps were geared toward children, obviously because of their low cost; however, this one is specifically aimed at women. Like a protean Rosie the Riveter, this idyllic Joan of Arc heroically faces her enemies, ready to conquer all who come before her.
Now, while I totally understand why they chose Joan of Arc as the inspirational Savings Stamps mascot for wartime women (pious, virginal, selfless, brave), I feel like they might have wanted to go with someone who didn’t subsequently get burned at the stake by those she saved. They might as well have chosen Pocahontas and said she “helped bring peace between the Native Americans and the Europeans (and then died of smallpox which she never would have contracted if she wasn’t forced to go to England). Buy War Stamps.”
So yeh….I’m sort of stuck with the idea that this poster is saying “buy savings stamps….and we’ll probably screw you over later.”