As soon as World War II came to an end, budgets were slashed for most federal agencies and bureaus, the U. S. Mint included. As the Mint returned to the pre-war composition of copper and nickel for the five-cent piece, it did so under severe cost restrictions that continued to tighten over the next several years. Given these conditions it's not surprising that the quality of the nation's coinage eroded even further than it had during the war years.
As soon as World War II came to an end, budgets were slashed for most federal agencies and bureaus, the U. S. Mint included. As the Mint returned to the pre-war composition of copper and nickel for the five-cent piece, it did so under severe cost restrictions that continued to tighten over the next several years. Given these conditions it's not surprising that the quality of the nation's coinage eroded even further than it had during the war years.
