During World War II, when copper was being diverted to make munitions, the atomic bomb laboratory in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, borrowed 14,700 tons (13,336 metric tons) of pure silver from the U.S. Treasury to be used for the huge amounts of electrical wiring required by the giant calutrons which separated the isotopes of uranium. By 1970, all but .04% of the silver had been replaced by copper and returned to the Treasury vaults.
There is no evidence supporting the common belief that silver coins were withdrawn from circulation specifically to make the wiring.
There is no evidence supporting the common belief that silver coins were withdrawn from circulation specifically to make the wiring.
The amount of silver in question would form a cube 35 feet on each side. It would be very heavy and worth a lot--over 6.4 billion dollars based on a price for silver of $15 an ounce.
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