Is there a reason why ...

[jgrinz]

...There were no PROOF sets between 1942 and 1950

 

 

[Bruceswar]

Just a guess.... The war needed as much metal as possible and then rebuilding europe as well. Now I do not know if this is true, but sounds logical. Also the demand for the sets would have prolly been marginal at best.

[MTHead-migration]

Most certainly because of the war. Didn't a lot of the US silver stockpile get used in the Manhattan Project? It was later reclaimed and returned to the US Treasury.

[bsshog40]

I had read that another reason was because during the wartime era, not only were the coins halted due to the war, that the public also lost interest in these during that time frame and it was'nt decided on until 1950 to start minting again.

[PerryHall]

During and after WW2, the mint was very busy minting medals for the armed forces.

[jgrinz]

During and after WW2, the mint was very busy minting medals for the armed forces.

 

I like that one ... YOU WIN

 

Thanks for the input guys - I guess I will stop my PROOF collection at 1950 them cause I CAN NO AFFORD Proofs in the thirties-late fourties

 

[TomB]

During and after WW2, the mint was very busy minting medals for the armed forces.

I agree with PerryHall and have always understood the pressure to produce medals was a large factor in halting proof coinage from this era.

[BillJones]

During and after WW2, the mint was very busy minting medals for the armed forces.

I agree with PerryHall and have always understood the pressure to produce medals was a large factor in halting proof coinage from this era.

 

Added to that was fact that there was a tremendous demand for new coins during and after World War II. During the war the mint made huge quantities of war nickels and steel cents along with every other denomination. After the war there was a huge economic boom as the servicemen came home with pent up demand and consumers had money they had not been able to spend during the war.

[WoodenJefferson]

Many factors came to play during this era of strife in our nation...here are a few more reasons.

 

The “First War Powers Act” of 1941 led to the “Second War Powers Act” of 1942 which allowed Roosevelt to change the metallic content of our coinage. Obviously, proof (souvenir) coinage was immediately halted. The act was to remain in effect until 6 months after WWII (Japan’s surrender in Sept. 1945) that would mean the act would be in effect until at least March of 1946. It took until March of 1947 when “The First Decontrol Act of 1947” repealed the acts of war.

 

In June of 1950, the US entered yet another war with Korea, but the conflict was officially termed a “Police Action” to avoid a declaration of war. Had circumstances been any different you probably would not have seen proof sets until 1953.

 

Footnote:

 

In 1933, President Franklin Roosevelt appointed Nellie Tayloe Ross of Wyoming 28th Director of the Mint. She is the first woman appointed Mint Director and served the longest term in the Mint’s history: 20 years until her retirement in 1953

 

[Conder101]

The Manhatten Project only used 50,000 oz of the silver stockpile not 15,000 tons. And 50,000 oz was only about 1/40,000 of the stockpile.

 

One other thing that hasn't been mentioned is thatduring the war the US mint was also striking coins for many other countries as well. I short, during and immediately after the war the mint had many more important things to do than creat proof coins for collectors.