Reloading in WWII

[JimF4M1s (Deceased)]

After the 1943 "steel' pennies" the 1944 & 1945 pennies were made out of returned shell cases and were or are known as "shell case pennies"
FWIW

Copper was a strategic war material needed for ammunition casings. Cents issued in 1943 were struck in zinc-coated steel to help free up copper supplies for the war effort. The steel cents proved unsatisfactory (rapid oxidation, confusion with dimes, etc.) so in 1944 copper coinage was resumed. Most of the copper was recovered from spent ammunition, so these cents were called "shell-case cents".

Huge numbers were struck to help compensate for the steel cents that were being held as curiosities or lost due to rust, so the average 1944 cent does not command more than a few cents premium. However, in the flip side to what happened with the famous 1943 copper cents, in 1944 a few leftover steel planchets found their way into a press hopper and were struck with the 1944 date. They're not as well-known or as valuable as the '43 coppers but still retail in the thousands.

We did that also on the warships of the Canadian Navy even in the '70s. We were out about 100 miles and on the way to San Diego. After a shoot out there they just chucked the brass over the side rather than pack it home. Made sence to me.

I was on Assault Craft, we swept, threw, kicked it over the side because of a tripping hazard. Same when we had to replace a brass screw shaft. It was 5" or 6" in diameter and about 15' long. Weight an no room, replace and chucked the old one. Looking back that was a lot of brass.

That was interesting Harlan, thanks.

Jim