Existing comment:
"Make It Do or Do Without":
War production created shortages of critical supplies. To overcome these shortages, war planners searched for substitutes. One key metal in limited supply was copper. It was used in many war-related products, including assault wire. The military needed millions of miles of this wire to communicate on battlefields.
To satisfy the military's demands, copper substitutes had to be found to use in products less important to the nation's defense. The US Mint helped solve the copper shortage. During 1943 it made pennies out of steel. The Mint also conserved nickel, another important metal, by removing it from 5-cent coins. Substitutions like these helped win the production battle.
Wartime Substitutes ... Original Items
Saccharin, corn syrup, honey, molasses ... Sugar
Wooden buttons ... Zippers
Margarine ... Butter
Cardboard license plates ... Metal license plates |