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  1. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by Cosine26 View Post
    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.


    Quote Originally Posted by browningautorifleicon View Post
    We did that also on the warships of the Canadianicon 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

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    A Collector's View - The SMLE Short Magazine Lee Enfield 1903-1989. It is 300 8.5x11 inch pages with 1,000+ photo’s, most in color, and each book is serial-numbered.  Covering the SMLE from 1903 to the end of production in India in 1989 it looks at how each model differs and manufacturer differences from a collecting point of view along with the major accessories that could be attached to the rifle. For the record this is not a moneymaker, I hope just to break even, eventually, at $80/book plus shipping.  In the USA shipping is $5.00 for media mail.  I will accept PayPal, Zelle, MO and good old checks (and cash if you want to stop by for a tour!).  CLICK BANNER to send me a PM for International pricing and shipping. Manufacturer of various vintage rifle scopes for the 1903 such as our M73G4 (reproduction of the Weaver 330C) and Malcolm 8X Gen II (Unertl reproduction). Several of our scopes are used in the CMP Vintage Sniper competition on top of 1903 rifles. Brian Dick ... BDL Ltd. - Specializing in British and Commonwealth weapons Specializing in premium ammunition and reloading components. Your source for the finest in High Power Competition Gear. Here at T-bones Shipwrighting we specialise in vintage service rifle: re-barrelling, bedding, repairs, modifications and accurizing. We also provide importation services for firearms, parts and weapons, for both private or commercial businesses.
     

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    We have recycled military equipment, ammo, and weapons as far back as WWI. Battlefields were scavenged for weapons and equipment after the fact. I think pioneer platoons were utilized for the purpose. One of the largest recycle operations in history were our armories in Franceicon during WWI. Thousands of 03's were rebuilt in those armories, all scavenged from battlefields. My dad helped scavenge parachutes in the Normandy area for recycle, but he and his buddies would trade the silk to locals for wine and other "stuff". He said they had a mountain of parachutes, which they packed up and shipped somewhere.

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    Yes, there's always been battle field reclamation. Weapons and serviceable or salvagable equipment can't be left to rust and decay. It just sort of surprised me to see this one.
    Regards, Jim

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    I can fully understand a warship 'chucking' brass; useless cargo/critical space kind of thing. I always wondered about the millions/billions of rounds of small-arms to artillery brass in concentrations though. I believe that a lot of the VN era brass came back to the states as candle-holders and other gew-gaws. Watching the tear-down of the ammunition made me wonder how many of those 'recycled' rounds were 'duds'; in such a situation (combat) I'd prefer new ammunition, thank you. A couple of days ago, don't remember the source, I saw film footage of ammo in cases/crates being dumped into the sea by the U.K. from LCPs after WWII - believe it was on the Military History Channel.

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    I spent some time on the cited site and I am amazed at the amount of repair/reclamation work that went on. When I think of 'war' I think of the men (and women) carrying arms; never gave a thought to the people repairing rubber tires, raincoats, helmets etc. This web site is wonderful; I'm going to spend a lot of time learning a lot more about the folks in the background now. Got it bookmarked for an hour or two this evening. Thanks Harlan!

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    A friend of mine's mother worked in a shell plant near Charlotte, NC and she and the other ladies wrote their names and messages on the shell boxes to the guys on the other end. His dad at the same time was a Navy gunner in the South Pacific and wound up firing some of these same shells that his wife had packed and messaged. Small world.

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