“Silver Coins Top ’64 News” exclaims the headline of “Coins’ News Digest” in the February 1965 issue of Coins magazine. The digest looked back on a hectic year that featured nationwide coin shortages, the introduction of the Kennedy half dollar, authorization of a new Peace dollar, legislation to freeze the dates on coins and the possibility of golden-colored, base-metal coins.
Many pseudo-solutions and several feasible ones have risen in attempts to successfully combat the acute coin shortage,” Coins recorded of the problems the nation was having in making change. “The Mints have been working 24 hours a day – 7 days a week trying to keep up with the nation’s insatiable need for coins as opposed to 1950 when they shut down operations for a few months because they were ‘overstocked.’
According to Treasury Secretary C. Douglas Dillon, ‘The demand has increased for a number of reasons, including the steady growth in population and business and increased use
