1944-46 shell casings: true or false

[ray_parkhurst]

An internet search on this topic is very entertaining, with much contradictory information. Some sites are in complete denial. One site says that recycling of shellcases is why cents from 1944/45/46 are called "shotgun cents"! Some folks have done real research, though insufficient to answer all the questions. This will probably be a subject of discussion and controversy forever, or at least until the data exists to (more or less) prove it happened, and over what time period (Chris, we're counting on you!). BTW, according to Sol Taylor, it was the Phosphorous and Manganese in the spent shell casings that caused the dis-colorations we see today. According to several other sources, it was Sulphur! Might be nice to finally find out who's right.

[riff]

It is all a

[Justafarmer]

70-30 Brass - 10,000 lbs. of shell casings would require an additional 50,000 lbs. of pure copper to produce a 95-5 alloy.
Ed Rochette’s explanation presented in this thread reads as though the plan to use scrap shell casing for cent production was scrapped. Well except for the few that were ceremoniously melted.

[ray_parkhurst]

70-30 Brass - 10,000 lbs. of shell casings would require an additional 50,000 lbs. of pure copper to produce a 95-5 alloy.
Ed Rochette’s explanation presented in this thread reads as though the plan to use scrap shell casing for cent production was scrapped. Well except for the few that were ceremoniously melted.

Some accounts support what you say about adding shell casings to pure copper (or vice versa, depending on perspective) to bring the alloy into spec.

All I can say is don't believe anything you read on this subject, it is far too steeped in controversy and misinformation. Just look at the evidence. At this point, further research probably won't tell the tale to a sufficient extent to satisfy most observers.

[jallengomez]

Someone here mentioned they have never had any proof that shell casings were used. What kind of proof are you seeking and why?

I'm the one that mentioned that when I researched this I couldn't find anything to substantiate the claims. For one thing, the burden of proof is always on the one making a claim, and the proof I'm seeking is simply direct evidence from the mint that such shell casings were used to produce a substantial number of the cents minted. As with so many things in this world of ours there are always claims that the mint said this or the mint said that, but documentation is simply lacking. If the mint did indeed say this, I'd certainly like to know where you saw that report by the mint as that would be proof. This area is very much up for debate and as RLM pointed out, it's been debated by numismatic researches who, failing to find definitive evidence, concluded that shell casings were either never used, or were only used to make a few symbolic cents. Here are some quotes(emphasis in each is mine)-

...to keep the patriotic fervor a few shell casings were melted down-Ed Rochette

...numismatic writer Shane Anderson, in his study of the Lincoln cent, doubts that any shells were melted down, except perhaps ceremonially.

...more likely is that the shellcase story was a morale-boosting maneuver to ease the public's frustration with the steel cent.-David Lange

Even the stories which purport that shell casings were used contradict each other in the details. Were the shell casings from battlefield munitions? Were they large artillery casings from Naval ships? Were they from state-side training rounds? Were they from surplus casings that were no longer needed for the war effort? In my readings I've come across each one of these claims. My guess is(and I realize this is speculation without even so much as a back-of-the-envelope calculation) that collecting enough shell casings to produce even a small percentage of the cents minted between 1944-46 would prove to be a prohibitively tremendous endeavor.

What's not up for debate is the composition change. I readily acknowledge that. And as far as differences in color go, we've seen these differences in planchet colors throughout the series even in cents that had the same composition as other years. I would like to see further research and I'm certainly open to the fact that shell casings could have been used, but it's not a settled fact for me. I think this is a very good discussion which has merit. One of the things I love about the LCR is that we don't just post photos of our finds, but that we also probe research areas concerning the Lincoln Cent and that we bring to light new numismatic knowledge.

[ray_parkhurst]

I don't own the book (I just ordered it) but I saw some discussion that RWB's book on WW2 pattern coinage quotes definitive research stating how many (by weight) shell casings went into Cent production per day.

[BadThad]

Further strengthening this hypothesis would require physical analysis to check the chemical composition of Cents from various years and mints, looking for impurity signatures that would be consistent with the residues of primers and powder from WW2 munitions.

With the heat involved in the alloying process this would be impossible as all organic impurities would be vaporized.

[BadThad]

This is something I can do- I regularly use an X-ray spectrometer and have BU cents from these years to test. I can have some cents tested in the coming 2 weeks.

What kind of instrument? Surprising, these are not cheap instruments. We bought a new instrument last year (Rigaku) and it was $76,000.

You have to keep in my that EDXRF is a "pinpoint" analysis, only a tiny area of the sample is actually analyzed. If you don't have a special accessory to take measurements all over the surface, your data may not be so good. I greatly prefer to use our SEM-EDXRF instrument for this type of analysis as I'm able to move the area of interest/analysis anywhere on the surface.

[Justafarmer]

Was the change to the 1943 cent composition mandated through legislation or made through Executive Order by authority granted the President under The War Powers Acts?
The composition of coinage is mandated by Congressional Legislation. It is my understanding the powers granted the President under the War Powers Acts sunset 6 months after the end of the war. I just don’t know when that was.
Ex. Ord. No. 9723. Termination of President’s War Relief Control Board
Ex. Ord. No. 9723, May 14, 1946
Executive Order No. 9205 of July 25, 1942, is revoked, and the President’s War Relief Control Board established by that order is hereby terminated. The Secretary of State is authorized and directed to liquidate all of the activities and obligations and wind up all of the affairs of the Board as rapidly as practicable, and to utilize therefore such of the personnel property, records, and unexpended appropriations of the Board as may be necessary.
Proc. No. 2974. Termination of Wartime Emergencies
Proc. No. 2974, Apr. 28, 1952,
NOW, THEREFORE, I, HARRY S. TRUMAN, President of the United States of America, do proclaim that the national emergencies declared to exist by the proclamations of September 8, 1939 [set out above], and May 27, 1941 [set out above], terminated this day upon the entry into force of the Treaty of Peace with Japan.
Anyway it seems to me

1. There should be Legislation or Executive Order changing the composition of cents to steel for 1943.
2. There should be Legislation or Executive Order rescinding #1 and changing the composition to allow use of scrap shell casings for 1944.
3. There should be Legislation or Executive Order rescinding #2 once the practice ended and/or never actually put into force; changing the composition back to that of the pre-war cent.

Maybe US Mint records are not the best place to look to find the answer to this situation. Well I guess there could be Legislation or Executive Order giving the Mint the authority in determining coinage composition during the war years.
　
Just my ramblings on the situation.

[bugo]

I don't think the US military spent time and resources picking up used casings off of battlefields on the other side of the world. If the shell casing story is true, they mostly came from shooting ranges in the US, like somebody mentioned.

[riff]

I dont think they would have used shells that had been fired already. I think it would be more likely that they used surplus shells made while we were gearing up for an invasion of japan. The bomb being dropped, and japans surrender would have left a lot of extra bullets just sitting around.

[bugo]

I dont think they would have used shells that had been fired already. I think it would be more likely that they used surplus shells made while we were gearing up for an invasion of japan. The bomb being dropped, and japans surrender would have left a lot of extra bullets just sitting around.

That makes sense, but wouldn't they have actual bullets instead of just shells lying around?