A penny from 1943 minted that year was made out of steel with a zinc coating. It is also the only coin not containing copper to be circulated. We went through all the pennies, and some of them date back to 1903. The winning bidder was tom caldwell of concord, massachusetts. They wanted to put one tail on a ball of all heads so their parents could search for it. Ahead of the auction, experts said the penny could have fetched more than a million dollars. I have a 1943 copper penny that my grandparents came across when they were young.
Geesh i guess you all have a bunch of 1943 pennies in your possession. A 1943 steel penny is the only regularissued coin that can be picked up by a magnet. According to the experts at cointrackers, a rare 1943 coin made from copper wheat is selling for. I say i would rather find a 1943 copper cent now but back in the day when i was 14, i would have said 1909 svdb. Among the experts wing had received replies from, there was a response from the u. What is the value of a 1943 copper usa penny answers.
If it is a silvery gray color, it is probably a steel penny. We take pride in providing the most accurate coin values and stats online. If u make the hole in the tube of goop small u can have them hold the penny, goop it right from the tube, and have them place it. Just recently, a rare 1943 copper penny was auctioned for a million dollars, which is, of course, a staggering amount of money for most people. Unfollow penny 1943 copper to stop getting updates on your ebay feed. The top right image shows a common steel cent that someone has coated to make it appear bronze.
Nearly all circulating pennies at that time were struck in zinccoated steel because copper. Hi, tammy there was no silver, or steel, penny made in 1942. According to the american numismatic association, the 1943 copper alloy cent is one of the most idealized and potentially one of the most soughtafter items in american numismatics. Further authentication is required to see if its a legitimate 1943 copper cent. Rare pennies you should hold onto including the 1943 penny. If your 1943 penny sticks to the magnet, it is a common steel cent and not worth the big bucks. While the 1943 steel pennies are worth a few bucks, the rare copper version is worth more. Copper was in high demand for the war so the composition was changed. Others are fraud attempts, where someone has taken a genuine 1948 copper penny and cut the 8.
Anyways i think it is real so i am gonna go to my local coin dealer and let them inspect for themself. I think the banker took them for himself as they came in. We looked it up to make sure it was real, by the way the 3 looks in the 1943. The penny was dated 1943 s, but it was composed of copper, rather than the expected zinccoated steel. And the bottom right image is the rare and authentic 1943 bronze wheat penny.
Used a marker with a line around the center of the ball for them to follow. Mints coining machines were set up for new penny production in 1943, some copper blanks from the previous years production were not cleaned out. Why are 1943 copper and 1944 steel lincoln cent errors so. If youre still in two minds about 1943 copper penny and are thinking about choosing a similar product, aliexpress is a great place to compare prices and sellers. A small number of copper planchets were left over from 1942 and were used in 1943 during the transition to steel planchets. The front and back covers show wear at the top, bottom and side edges from use and storage. Ammunition required so much copper, the us mint had to find an alternative. Fortunately, there are very easy tests to determine if your 1943 copper penny is genuine. This page also shows coins listed for sale so you can buy and sell. An original 1943 steel penny is not considered a rare u. Copper was completely eliminated from the denominations composition, in favor of a oneyearonly type featuring a zincplated steel composition. The easiest way to determine if a 1943 cent is made of. In 1944, the need for copper was reduced, and the production of the copper cent resumed. Etsy is the home to thousands of handmade, vintage, and oneofakind products and gifts related to your search.
Sheridans lincoln wheat cent coin grab bag 55 wheat cents with five 1943 steel cents. When the 1943s copper cent finally came to light in 2008, the finders heirs also provided a file of correspondence related to the coin. May 16, 2011 in the mid 70s i read an ad or short article about the 1943 copper penny. The truth about 1943 steel and bronze copper wheat penny values. I dont ever recall really looking for 1943 copper cents in all the rolls i searched.
Just as the jefferson nickel fivecent coin saw the removal of nickel from its composition in 1942 to preserve the metal for artillery production, so, too, did lincoln wheat penny coins in 1943. This is not the first time a penny sold for way more than its face value. The value of a true 1943 copper canadian penny is worth a lot more than you will probably imagine. I think i might have a 1943 copper penny did the magnet test the 3 looks the same as compared to images ive searched online is there any other 1943 copper penny for already registered members. Here is a ball blue book of canning and preserving for 1943.
In 1943, there was a shortage in copper that was normally used to make lincoln cents, so instead of copper, the u. I have done my research into this coin and can say that this is an authentic 1943 copper penny there is one downfall to the coin, my granddad in disbelief took a knife to see the hardness of the coin and cut a fine line into it. What follows are a number of rare pennies you should hold onto if you ever come. It has been redesigned several times since then, and before 1982 the u. As with many items of high value, there are a lot of fakes floating around, notes fox news. The copper 1943 s issue is quite rarer, with only 6 examples known, all slightly circulated. If you had a picture it would be helpful but it probably looks different then others. The philadelphia, denver, and san francisco mints each produced these 1943 lincoln cents. All 1943 pennies are worth more than their face value, but how much more is the question a lot of folks want to know the answer to.
Over one billion 1943 steel cents were produced at the philadelphia, denver, and san francisco mints, making this a very common coin. Join thousands of satisfied visitors who discovered 1944 penny, selling silver coin collection and silver coin sellers. This is a real us 1943 penny that has been copper plated. One of the rarest and most intriguing us coins is the 1943d bronzecopper lincoln wheat cent. My dad gave me his penny collection from when he was a kid. Simpson bought a bronze 1943 lincoln penny that was supposed to be made of steel. For its age, it is in good condition, but you need to know. The 1943 copper cent was produced at all three mints. The rare penny that most coin collectors would want to have been also produced in the year 1943 and its funny because that penny was created by mistake. A mintcondition, untouched penny could be worth a great deal more to the right buyer. No matter what youre looking for or where you are in the world, our global marketplace of sellers can help you find unique and affordable options. May 18, 20 much has been published about copper 1943 pennies being worth in excess of a million dollars.
A 1948 copper penny can be filed down on the left side of the 8, making it look like a 3 instead. How many 1943 copper pennies exist and how many have been. Mint used 95 percent copper to create pennies except for one year during world war ii. An alternative story is presented for your consideration. It was nothing more then high school age boys entertaining themselves in the workplace. If it looks more like a common brownish penny, it may be one of the rare copper 1943 pennies. The 1943 copper cent has been counterfeited by coating steel cents with copper or by altering the dates of 1945, 1948, and 1949 pennies.
It was decided to change the content from copper to steel coated with zinc for the first run of the new 1943 cents. In reference to your letter of august 11th, there were no copper cents struck. Well help you to work out whether its worth paying extra for a highend version or whether youre getting just as good a deal by getting the cheaper item. Lincoln cents 1943 copper all are rare wont stick to a magnet 1943 1943. This was because copper was heavily needed for war materials during world war ii. According to the heritage auction site, only 10 1943 copper cents have been traced, along with a single dmint example and six smint coins. As wings son tells it today, wing was 14 years old in 1944 when he made his rare penny find. The bottom left image is a 1948 wheat cent that has had the 8 in 1948 altered to look like a 3. Another scenario of how the 1943 copper penny came to be. The 1943 copper cents are so rare they are a popular target of counterfeiters and other scam artists. Another method was to add a plated layer to a 1943 steel cent, which can be detected with a magnet. These are extremely rare compared to a steel version you might have. Jan 10, 2018 the top left image shows the common 1943 penny made of zinc and steel.
Twelve of these pennies exist and a few of them are still in circulation, so it is worth keeping. Believe it or not, some are worth much more than that. One of the rarest and most intriguing us coins is the 1943 s bronze copper lincoln wheat cent. Additionally, watch out for fake 1942 copper pennies that are actually just copper plated steel pennies of that same year. There are many stories of how the 1943 copper penny came into existance. Excepting that unique 1943d copper cent, a bidder in the upcoming fun auction could compete to assemble a set of five of the six major world war ii penny errors. Favorite methods of faking the 1943 copper cent include. Some were intended to be novelty items, and are just steel pennies dipped, or plated, in copper. The unique composition of the coin lowgrade steel coated with zinc, instead of the previously 95% copper based bronze composition has led to. One of the rarest and most intriguing us coins is the 1943 d bronze copper lincoln wheat cent. I am looking for any and all opinions on the authenticity of this 1943 d copper penny.
Convince your friends you found one of the extremely rare and incredibly valuable 1943 copper pennies. This item 1943 copper plated real us steel penny numismatic coin. That sure is a lot of money for an old penny, right. Nearly all pennies from 1943 are supposed to be steel cents.
Have a 1943 copper penny that does not stick to a magnet. As of 2010 this coin was worth 200,000 dollars and i am sure since then this coin has only increased in value and will. The 1943 penny was pressed amid world war ii, when copper was an integral component in making wartime necessities like phone wire and bullet casings. The rarest example is the denver mint issue of which only one is known.
The number 1 way counterfeiters used for the 1943 bronze cents is through altering the final digit usually an 8 on an 1948 cent. Unfortunately, there are plenty of fake 1943 copper cents floating around. Genuine 1943 copper cents are rare and hard to find, and they can be quite valuable. The easiest way to determine if a 1943 cent is made of steel, and not copper, is to use a magnet. Apr 27, 2017 if you do happen upon a 1943 penny, dont quit your job or book a lavish vacation right away. Copper penny pieces from 1943 is worth thousands of dollars. The unique composition of the coin lowgrade steel coated with zinc, instead of the previously 95%copperbased bronze composition has led to various nicknames, such as. Heres a rundown of the various types of 1943 wheat pennies and their values 1943 steel penny 684,628,670 minted. In 1909, the lincoln penny entered circulation, according to american web media. Unfollow 1943 copper penny to stop getting updates on your ebay feed. Jan, 2016 1943 d copper penny discussion in coin chat started by allen pledger, jan, 2016. Jul 30, 2009 it was decided to change the content from copper to steel coated with zinc for the first run of the new 1943 cents.
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