<P> The V sign is a hand gesture in which the index and middle fingers are raised and parted, while the other fingers are clenched . It has various meanings, depending on the cultural context and how it is presented . </P> <P> When displayed with the palm inward toward the signer, it has long been an offensive gesture in some Commonwealth nations . In the 1940s, during the Second World War, a campaign by the Western Allies to use the sign with the back of the hand toward the signer (U + 270C ✌ VICTORY HAND in Unicode) as a "V for Victory" sign proved quite effective . During the Vietnam War, in the 1960s, the "V sign" was widely adopted by the counterculture as a symbol of peace . Shortly thereafter, it also became adopted as a gesture used in photographs, especially in Japan . </P> <P> The meaning of the V sign is partially dependent on the manner in which the hand is positioned: </P>

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