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Posted 07/31/2014 11:12 am
Found the information on the shell case cents.
From letter to Philadelphia mint from Director Ross (National Archives record group 104, entry 328-H Box 3 "Philtdelphia Mint Operating Records)
"It is understood, of course, that you will use the expended shell casings, as agreed upon, while securing enough copper to "sweeten" them up to 95-5."
From another letter to the Philadelphia Mint in the same group
"It is presumed the the shells you have already received will be sufficient to meet your needs in preparing for the coinage that is to begin Jan 1, 1944, and that by that time ingots will be available from the contractor who will melt the shell cases to be supplied as per Bureau letter of Nov 20th."
Shell cases arrived in railroad cars every five days at each mint The consumption used for cents was 3,500 pounds of shell cases a day six days a week at Philadelphia. They were also used for a 2 franc coin at a rate of 21,000 pounds a day (those were not sweetened with extra copper)
The reference for that information is from a letter of Feb 28th, 1944 from acting Philadelphia Mint Superintendent Helen C Moore to Director Ross. The letter can be found in the same location as the previous two.
So the story about the 1944 - 46 cents being made from shell cases is no myth, and it was not just a small symbolic amount of shell cases. Most of the shell cases used were 50 caliber.
I was wrong about the 50 pounds of tin for all the 1942 cents that I mentioned earlier, that was just for the 85 million cents struck in San Francisco. That would make those cents 95% copper 4.992% zinc and .008% tin.
From letter to Philadelphia mint from Director Ross (National Archives record group 104, entry 328-H Box 3 "Philtdelphia Mint Operating Records)
"It is understood, of course, that you will use the expended shell casings, as agreed upon, while securing enough copper to "sweeten" them up to 95-5."
From another letter to the Philadelphia Mint in the same group
"It is presumed the the shells you have already received will be sufficient to meet your needs in preparing for the coinage that is to begin Jan 1, 1944, and that by that time ingots will be available from the contractor who will melt the shell cases to be supplied as per Bureau letter of Nov 20th."
Shell cases arrived in railroad cars every five days at each mint The consumption used for cents was 3,500 pounds of shell cases a day six days a week at Philadelphia. They were also used for a 2 franc coin at a rate of 21,000 pounds a day (those were not sweetened with extra copper)
The reference for that information is from a letter of Feb 28th, 1944 from acting Philadelphia Mint Superintendent Helen C Moore to Director Ross. The letter can be found in the same location as the previous two.
So the story about the 1944 - 46 cents being made from shell cases is no myth, and it was not just a small symbolic amount of shell cases. Most of the shell cases used were 50 caliber.
I was wrong about the 50 pounds of tin for all the 1942 cents that I mentioned earlier, that was just for the 85 million cents struck in San Francisco. That would make those cents 95% copper 4.992% zinc and .008% tin.
Edited by Conder101
07/31/2014 11:21 am
07/31/2014 11:21 am
