1944 wheat penny

woodstock

Sr. Member
Feb 7, 2008
454
125
The Great Northwoods
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First , if I found this cent I would have already had it examined and verified authentic and have the appraisal posted here for us all to see cause the drama is a real killer . And I can't see why someone would go to that extent to "fake" this when it just could have been plated easier by a novice that didn't realize that a 1944 steel wouldn't have that much copper color like this one has . And it makes no sense for Uncle Sam to "plate the steels" and release them and I have never read anywhere that Uncle Sam did this so it never happened to get it's copper plating this way . I have posted pictures of the real 1944 steels and they a more 99% steel colored than 99% copper colored like the one found.
If it's a real 1944 steel then it's the best example of one that show almost 100% copper and if the steel has been exposed in any areas then it never deteriorated after being buried 6 inches down for many, many years and that itself would be a rare find . Seeing it only "lightly" stuck and didn't stick "hard" to the screwdriver only makes it seem that it was plated at a later date to try to pass it off as a genuine 1944 steel cent and when that didn't pass it was just change again.
I suggest this . Post a close up video of this 1944 steel actually being drawn to a real magnet and not a screwdriver tip . Everyone knows that screwdrivers have weak magnetic pull so if it is indeed a real steel 1944 then there should be no problem filming it (close up) being drawn to a real magnet .
I really hope it is 100% real but from all my research and from it almost (if not completely) copper color I'm still convinced it's a fake or done by someone who never saw a example of a real 1944 steel cent . IMHO , Woodstock
 

huntsman53

Gold Member
Jun 11, 2013
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First , if I found this cent I would have already had it examined and verified authentic and have the appraisal posted here for us all to see cause the drama is a real killer. And I can't see why someone would go to that extent to "fake" this when it just could have been plated easier by a novice that didn't realize that a 1944 steel wouldn't have that much copper color like this one has . And it makes no sense for Uncle Sam to "plate the steels" and release them and I have never read anywhere that Uncle Sam did this so it never happened to get it's copper plating this way . I have posted pictures of the real 1944 steels and they a more 99% steel colored than 99% copper colored like the one found.
If it's a real 1944 steel then it's the best example of one that show almost 100% copper and if the steel has been exposed in any areas then it never deteriorated after being buried 6 inches down for many, many years and that itself would be a rare find . Seeing it only "lightly" stuck and didn't stick "hard" to the screwdriver only makes it seem that it was plated at a later date to try to pass it off as a genuine 1944 steel cent and when that didn't pass it was just change again.
I suggest this . Post a close up video of this 1944 steel actually being drawn to a real magnet and not a screwdriver tip . Everyone knows that screwdrivers have weak magnetic pull so if it is indeed a real steel 1944 then there should be no problem filming it (close up) being drawn to a real magnet .
I really hope it is 100% real but from all my research and from it almost (if not completely) copper color I'm still convinced it's a fake or done by someone who never saw a example of a real 1944 steel cent . IMHO , Woodstock

I hope it is 100% genuine as well! Assuming that it is real, then IMHO what you are seeing as Copper, is actually a dirty old Steel Cent that has lost some of it's Zinc coating and the Steel core has rusted somewhat. See the cropped and enlarged pics below. While, yes, a few small areas on the coin appear as if Copper is showing through but what I see on the larger majority of the coin is rust showing through. I now own quite a few and have owned thousands of 1943 Zinc coated Steel Cents and many of them have/had deteriorated so much that much of the surfaces were covered in rust. I believe that it is almost impossible to coat or plate a Copper cent with Steel and if it was possible, it would show very little attraction to a magnet. Also, if you could even do some, then add a Zinc coating to the Steel coating or plating, it would highly distort the details (images) on the coin. In the meantime, I will hold out hope for the O.P. and wait for the O.P. to get it checked out and the verdict to come in!


Frank

1944SteelCent2.jpg
 

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lastleg

Silver Member
Feb 3, 2008
2,876
657
The 43 steel weighs 2.70 grams, the 44-46 were salvaged from cartridge cases and weighed 3.11 grams.
I would get a scale that measures grams and report back on it's weight.
 

woodstock

Sr. Member
Feb 7, 2008
454
125
The Great Northwoods
Detector(s) used
F 75 Ltd ~ And many others
I guess we'll have to wait and see ... again our opinions differ ..
I hope it is 100% genuine as well! Assuming that it is real, then IMHO what you are seeing as Copper, is actually a dirty old Steel Cent that has lost some of it's Zinc coating and the Steel core has rusted somewhat. See the cropped and enlarged pics below. While, yes, a few small areas on the coin appear as if Copper is showing through but what I see on the larger majority of the coin is rust showing through. I now own quite a few and have owned thousands of 1943 Zinc coated Steel Cents and many of them have/had deteriorated so much that much of the surfaces were covered in rust. I believe that it is almost impossible to coat or plate a Copper cent with Steel and if it was possible, it would show very little attraction to a magnet. Also, if you could even do some, then add a Zinc coating to the Steel coating or plating, it would highly distort the details (images) on the coin. In the meantime, I will hold out hope for the O.P. and wait for the O.P. to get it checked out and the verdict to come in!

It's can't be as hard as you say to coat zinc with copper . Every newer zinc penny has a thin plating of copper and they are zinc . And I didn't think we were talking about a copper cent covered in steel but a cent thats steel and then copper plated . And I still don't see a rusted steel cent even at a magnification of 250X . But I do see a corroded copper cent . I see three light spots that are impossible to ID what they are in this pic , just like a very light green patina below the date and no D or S . And if this was a new finished coin a light zinc coating wouldn't distort much at all, when it comes to plating coins it only takes Mills to do right and not a heavy plate that would then cause distortion . I've worked in a Plating company and played everything from Copper to quality finish Chrome and in between , even lead .
Don't get me wrong because 100% of me would like this to be the real thing but the odds are better than 99% it's not . When it's authenticated as the real deal then and only then will I be convinced otherwise ... IMHO , Woodstock


Frank

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