Has anyone heard of a 1939 steel penny?

[golden silver]

My Dad Silver Slice found one in the reject tray the other day and was baffled by it. I have not been able to find any info on such a thing. I will see if I can't post pictures tomorrow.

Golden Silver

[cedarratt]

Could be Counterfeit or a copper one that had been rubbed with mercury. Is it actually magnetic? and can you get any photos of it.

[Shortstack]

The Red Book only mentions the 1943 steel penny; nothing about steel in other years. I wonder if you found a "souvenir" coin.

[homefires]

Yea, magnet time!

There was a few 1944 produced in error.

http://www.thecoinalley.com/1944steel.html

[Coins4Cheese]

I'm pretty sure the US was striking coins for other countries at that time. Maybe it was a blank intended for another country? Highly unlikely, but if so, that's one heck of a fine. My theory is that it's steel plated though. A pic will be very helpful.

[silvereagle78]

This reminds me of a crazy story from long ago A few years back a guy offered me an aluminum type, I think 1970 something lincoln cent. I refused thinking it was just a souvenir or something. A year or two later the dang coin was on the front of Coinage or Coins and I read the article about how it was a real prototype and six of them went missing from the mint. All the others were destroyed. Well it would have been illegal to own anyway Sorry but this thread reminded me of it.

[gold fish]

I think the aluminums were '78. A while ago(year or two), someone on thos forum alledgedly found one. I don't think we ever heard back on him pricing it 'tho.

[qwerty]

Yes, I got one like that once, a 1939 also. Then after scraping it a bit, I realized that it was copper underneath and seems to be plated with zinc.

[AU24K]

"1,579,324 cents dated 1974 were struck in aluminum as experimental pieces. None were placed in circulation and most were later destroyed. One was preserved for the National Collection in the Smithsonian Institution".

Source: R.S. Yeoman "Redbook"


Scott

[Kantuckkeean]

I'd say it's probably plated. My wife and I found a 1959 that we tossed in with the little pile of '43s that we were finding, and one of them was a '59. After close examination, I determined that it was just plated.

Kindest regards,
Kantuck

[silvereagle78]

"1,579,324 cents dated 1974 were struck in aluminum as experimental pieces. None were placed in circulation and most were later destroyed. One was preserved for the National Collection in the Smithsonian Institution".

Source: R.S. Yeoman "Redbook"


Scott

Scott,
Thank-you for reminding me what date this was. I had to go research it myself because I know I read there were definitely a few out there. The article I have posted I consider reliable information. Actually this article tells of another variety found in Pennsylvania when the Cents were sent to a steel mill to be destroyed and a bag “accidentally” broke open and a few of the cents were unaccounted for. I do not know if the Cent offered to me a few years back was real or not, either way it has made me more aware that there are strange things that exist within the coin collecting world. I think you all will enjoy this article. Thanks


http://www.coinfacts.com/small_cents.../1974_cent.htm

[DAS7NY]

I'll check my pattern book later for it! I think it's not steel but something else. Post pictures please? They would help. I'll see what I can come up with. If real, it'll be worth a pretty penny@