3 Steel 1943 Pennys i forgot i had since i was 10 years old

[Deepdiger60]

51 years ago i used to collect penny's i don't remember who gave me my first Whitman penny booklet but that is how it started a few days ago my sister mailed me that booklet it was in my Moms house which she has now i opened the penny holder and WOW !! inside are penny's from 1941 to 1974 including 3 steel penny's 1943 1943 S 1943 D they look like the day they where made i dont think since i was a kid that booklet was ever opened after i was 12 , i checked with my lope there is not 1 scratch on those coins obverse or reverse they still shine like a mirror i took them out of the booklet and very carefully put them in coin folds until i can get the air tight seals i really think these could grade MS 64-5 ? Not the greatest value coin there is but to me they are priceless i thought i would share my old new find Good hunting Dd60

 

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[Shortstack]

Your pennies are beautiful, but if they are polished steel, then someone "back when" polished the copper coating off and ruined some of their value. The steel pennies were coated with a thin copper wash when minted and a few copper blanks got through the mint and were stamped. THOSE coins are where the value is. The quick test for 1943 steel pennies with their copper washes intact is to use a magnet. If you find a 1943 penny that is NOT attracted by a magnet, protect that puppy from scratches and research it thouroughly..............it is valuable.

 

[Slabman]

Your pennies are beautiful, but if they are polished steel, then someone "back when" polished the copper coating off and ruined some of their value. The steel pennies were coated with a thin copper wash when minted and a few copper blanks got through the mint and were stamped. THOSE coins are where the value is. The quick test for 1943 steel pennies with their copper washes intact is to use a magnet. If you find a 1943 penny that is NOT attracted by a magnet, protect that puppy from scratches and research it thouroughly..............it is valuable.

I don't believe this is correct. Steel cents were zinc coated, and no copper was used, as all of the copper was going to the war effort. There are a very few
examples of actual copper, 1943 cents, but this was due to actual copper planchets that were either put in accidentally or intentionally ?? , to the steel planchets
before stamping. I have around 270 steel cents that were handed down from my grandmother, and some are in uncirculated condition, and there is no hint of
any copper. Although it would be nice to find a copper 1943 cent!!

Slab

 

[Deepdiger60]

Your pennies are beautiful, but if they are polished steel, then someone "back when" polished the copper coating off and ruined some of their value. The steel pennies were coated with a thin copper wash when minted and a few copper blanks got through the mint and were stamped. THOSE coins are where the value is. The quick test for 1943 steel pennies with their copper washes intact is to use a magnet. If you find a 1943 penny that is NOT attracted by a magnet, protect that puppy from scratches and research it thouroughly..............it is valuable.

Even though it was many years ago those 3 penny's have always looked that way i do remember getting them brand new i believe it was a proof set i do not remember ever seeing a copper coating you might remember F. W. Woolworth Company that is where i got them they sold coins. Thanks for the infro. Dd60

 

[enamel7]

Don't know where that info came from. The 43's are steel with NO copper wash. Zinc coated. Copper plated 43's were created as a novelty and sold as such. Not created by the mint in the minting process. Some actual copper coins reported, but that's where the magnet test comes in.
HH
enamel7

 

[Deepdiger60]

Don't know where that info came from. The 43's are steel with NO copper wash. Zinc coated. Copper plated 43's were created as a novelty and sold as such. Not created by the mint in the minting process. Some actual copper coins reported, but that's where the magnet test comes in.
HH
enamel7

Exactly 2011 Red Book has these at between 8.00 and 20.00 except the 1943D boldly doubled mintmark at 1000.00 which i do not have . HH Dd60

 

[fistfulladirt]

My wife recently brought an entire roll of '43 steel cents home, found them at work, (works at a bank). They all look to be steel. ffd

 

[N.J.THer]

My wife recently brought an entire roll of '43 steel cents home, found them at work, (works at a bank). They all look to be steel. ffd

If they have a coin machine that will collect the steel pennies for her...when I turn in coins I always check the magnet and it is usually good for a steel penny and lots of foriegn stuff.

NJ

 

[Shortstack]

You are all correct about the zinc covered steel pennies and I was wrong. The red book also says that a few 1944 pennies were struck in steel............so there is another possibility for "striking it rich". LOL