I remember reading in my third grade way back in '65 how they were going to start issuing copper slugs with a bit of silver clad on the outside in lieu of real silver dimes and quarters, and even then I could see right through their claims that silver "was too valuable" to waste on money. The inflation caused by excess printing of money (or the equivalent tweaking of bank numbers) to provide gibs to garner votes was the root cause. In 1982, they started issuing pennies made of zinc with a copper plate on the outside. Look at the edge of a dime or quarter to see the copper, or scrape a penny against a sidewalk to see the silvery zinc inside.
That was an informative childrens book compared to the crap they put out today for kids. No real learning in them. Even the schoolbooks are devoid of real truth and facts.
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