In 1939, the British government commissioned a series of propaganda posters that were intended to offer the public reassurance. They were required to have a uniform style, and contain a special and handsome typeface to make them difficult for the enemy to counterfeit. The crown of King George VI was used as the only graphic device, and it was to feature only two colours.
Three final designs went into production. The third design had a print run of 2.5 million posters and simply read: "Keep Calm and Carry On." The first two posters appeared throughout the country, but the Keep Calm posters were held in reserve and remained unseen by the public until one appeared in Barter Books in the northeast corner of England. Since then, this voice out of history has become an icon that continues to inspire us in the 21st century.