Copper plated 43 wheat?

[scotto]

Copper plated '43 wheat?

My son and I bought some wheat pennies yesterday, and he found this 1943 that appears copper plated. It does stick to a magnet, but did the mint plate steel cents with copper at all back in '43?

 

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[mmiller]

Re: Copper plated '43 wheat?

I believe that was somebody who tried to forge a rare coins I think that there were a hundred or less 1943 copper cent and they were very expensive to a collector and of course there where people trying to forge them.

 

[l.cutler]

Re: Copper plated '43 wheat?

The mint didn't do it, a lot of these were done and sold cheaply as novelty items. Most made to deceive collectors were made from other date copper cents because the magnet test is so easy to do.

 

[watercolor]

Re: Copper plated '43 wheat?

Back in high school chemistry (way too long ago), our teacher would copper plate zinc war pennies as a demonstration. I would imagine there's still a bunch out there to be found.

watercolor

 

[gold fish]

Re: Copper plated '43 wheat?

At minimum a copper '43 is worth like $20,000, minimum. If it sticks to a magnet, it isn't solid copper. But I will say that I would POOP if I got that thing while roll-hunting.