The Steel Cent of 1943

Hello everyone!
 I have been looking at some of my most recent posts, and I realized that I have wandered from the original goal of my blog; to share genealogy and to share some of my knowledge of history. So, I have written a short story on the steel penny of 1943. (Please hold tight! Pictures will come Saturday morning!)

The year was 1942. America was entering the midway point of her first year in World War II. The government was feverishly whipping up patriotic fervor, and the nation began to respond. People were buying war bonds, wives were working, men were going off to war, and the patriotic sons and daughters of the country were gathering scrap metal. Huge scrap drives were held to try and get metal to build tanks, planes, and trucks. Oh and one other thing: Bullets. Several billion bullets were made throughout the war. However, each bullet required a copper casing. These casing were necessary to the bullets. They contained the powder that was required to fire the bullet.The United States was beginning to run short on this precious metal, and the scrap drives around the country just weren't producing enough copper. So, the US Mint decided to take the copper out of the penny and the nickel. The nickel was easy; the mint just added more silver to the alloy. (yes, that makes them more valuable.) The penny however, was a different story. The penny had had basically the same alloy since its creation in the early 19th century. Every once and a while the weight was slightly changed, but generally it stayed the same- about 90% copper with tin, lead, and aluminium mixed in. Now, that alloy had to change. Scientists experimented with other metals, plastics, and even glass! However, in the end, they chose a low grade steel coin with a super small (super small as in .001 inch thick) coating of zinc to keep the metal from rusting- 99% Low grade steel, 1% zinc. Due to the steel, they are the first, (and the last) US coins that responded to a magnet.

 The Mint director announced the change on December 23rd, 1942. That January, the Mint began pumping the new pennies into the system. Unfortunately, the public did not like them. Vending machines refused to take them, thinking that they were metal slugs. The zinc wore off quickly, meaning that the coins rusted and fell apart. They were also mistaken for dimes due to their brilliance when they were fresh of of the press. Due to the sudden outcry, the Mint immediately began to look for new ways to make the coins, but they continued to make them at all three of the Mints. (San Francisco, Denver, and Philadelphia.) At the end of the year, 1,093,838,670 steel cents were minted.

Beginning in late 1943, used shell casings were picked up and recycled. These recycled cartridges had enough copper in them to make millions of coins, which the mint promptly did. Beginning in January 1944, the mint switched back to copper coins, therefore ending the run of the steel cent. Although it was only produced for one year, many of these cents still exist. This is because many American citizens began hoarding the coins, realizing that they were special. While the government bought back some of these coins, they did not publicize the buy-back and did not recover many of the coins. Today you can buy a steel cent in good looking condition for $ .50.

So there you have it. The story of one of America's most quirky and interesting coins. Thanks for reading! I hope to have another article like this one out soon!
JM

The Wunderlich Family

On August 29th, at 8 in the morning in central Germany, German SWAT teams stormed the home of the Wunderlich Family. The Wunderlich family had refused to stop homeschooling their children, even after the German government threatened to take away their children. Mr. and Mrs. Wunderlich were treated like horrible criminals and were not allowed to say goodbye to their children. The German SWAT team took the children and informed the Wunderlichs that they should not expect to see them any time soon. 

The treatment of the Wunderlichs as well as other German Homeschooling breaks many international treaties as well as the basic human right of parents being able to choose the education of their child. Please keep this family in your thoughts and prayers, as they began a long legal battle to try to re-claim their children. 

Thanks for reading!
JM

9/11 Never Forget Memorial Wrap Up

Hello Everyone!
I just wanted to show you some pictures of our 9/11 Never Forget Memorial. We had a great turnout.
We had 15 volunteers who came at 6:30 AM to help us set up. It took us two hours to put all 2,977 flags into the ground. (It took ten minutes to pick them up.) Our main visitors were Moms with elementary aged children explaining to their children what the flags represented and why they were there. We also had a Mom that was a Red Cross volunteer. She said that her job was to call the victims families and tell them what had happened. In the end, the memorial helped many people remember, which was the goal. Thanks to the sponsors, parents, and the volunteers who helped make it possible.
Here are some pictures:

Setting Up. (We are only three rows in in this picture!)

Continuing to set up

Volunteers putting flags in the ground

Work progresses...

Almost done!

Finished!

Cleaning up the flags

Picking up the flags.

Thanks for reading! Have a great day, and never forget 9/11.

JM

9/11: Never Forget

The 9/11 Never Forget Project

Hello everyone!
 As some of you may know I am the chairman of a Young Americans for Freedom Chapter. YAF is an organization that informs students about both sides of the political spectrum. They have an each year called the "9/11 Never Forget Project." Students assemble a memorial to the innocent victims of 9/11, erecting one American flag for each innocent person killed in the horrible attacks. They put up 2,977 flags to commemorate the 12th anniversary of 9/11.

My chapter and I have decided to participate in the project. We will be erecting our memorial at Southwest Church of Christ on 127th and Center. Below is a flier.

NEVER FORGET

9/11 Memorial

2977 Lives   2977 Flags   ONE DAY

Where: Southwest Church of Christ; 127^th and Center

When: September 11^th, 2013.

Time: 8 AM to 8 PM

If you are available, we would love for you to come.

 Also, we are looking for volunteers to help us put up all of the flags. (We have an hour and half to put up almost 3,000 flags. We need help.) If you would like to help, please leave a comment below, and I will get back to you. Thanks!

JM