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| Reverse side of a 1942-P Jefferson nickel |
While reading and thinking about
wartime coinage, I remembered that nickel was also in such short supply during WW II that the mint replaced it with silver.
Link Nickel was needed to harden steel for armor plating. Special nickels were marked with huge mint marks P, D, and S over Monticello on the reverse to facilitate re-collection and melting. But
Gresham's Law kicked in after the war and the silver nickels were hoarded when the price of nickel fell. I still have a few, found in change, darkened with age due to their manganese content.
Lastly, copper was in such short supply during WW II that the Treasury loaned out 14,700 tons of coinage silver for use in making electrical coils for uranium isotope separation at Oak Ridge National Labs.
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