During World War II, even the Oscars had to make sacrifices for the war effort. Between 1943 and 1945, the Academy stopped using metal to cast the statuettes due to a nationwide shortage of copper and tin. Instead, winners were handed Oscars made of painted plaster. While they looked identical to the real thing from a distance, they were much lighter and more fragile. The Academy promised the winners that they could exchange their plaster trophies for gold-plated metal ones once the war ended. Most winners eventually did, making the original 'Plaster Oscars' incredibly rare collector's items today. This period remains a unique example of how global events directly impacted the physical traditions of Hollywood's biggest night.