Manhattan Project
Author: Aldo
Date: 02-19-2011 - 10:36
Dr Zarkoff Wrote:
> For those of you who collect coins, the silver
> connection figured into the Manhattan Project.
> Leslie Groves needed a lot of wires for the
> electro magnets in the calutrons at Oak Ridge. But
> the war was on, so copper was difficult to get. So
> he twisted Treasury's arm to have a lot of
> uncirculating silver dollars melted down for
> wires. This is why sivler dollars minted between
> about 1920 and 1945 are so rare. Last I heard the
> silver wiring is still in place in Oak Ridge.
FWIW
The January/February issue of American Scientist
has a decent article about the use of silver for the Manhattan Project.