Just before the Great World War there were violent fluctuations in silver, caused first by the cessation of supplies from Mexico at the outbreak of the revolution there, and by the subsequent supplies from that country, which had been accumulated, being forced upon the market; and later by the unsettled European situa¬tion which, during the latter part of July, made silver unsaleable, and there was no quotation for this com¬modity for many days.

Then the British Government, through the Mint, made a large purchase of silver. France and Belgium followed, and later, the United States passed a special Bill authorising the purchase of 15,000,000 oz. of silver. During the war the British Government called in all the gold it could, and paper notes were substituted; but for a short time ignorant people looked askance at the notes and there was a rush for silver.