The War Effort and Metals The 1943 silver colored penny is a wartime coin issue made of steel and coated with zinc. During World War II, the war effort required a lot of copper to make shell casings and munitions.
What is a steel 1943 penny worth?
Because they are quite common, a 1943 penny in circulated condition is not worth much. According to USA Coin Book, a steel penny from 1943 in circulated condition is worth between 16 cents and 53 cents. However, Heritage Auctions sells 1943 steel pennies in pristine, uncirculated condition for more than $1,000.
What was the 1943 Lincoln Penny made out of?
1943 Lincoln Wheat Cents look like “silver pennies” but they are actually made out of steel. During World War 2: The US needed to allocate as much copper as possible for the war effort and this included copper used for minting Lincoln Cents at the US Mint.
Is the 1943 penny worth a million dollars?
There are two version of the United States 1943 penny: 1) 1943 Steel Cent minted during the World War II copper shortage era. 2) 1943 Copper Penny minted with extreme rarity due to most likely leftover copper planchets (blanks) from 1942. The 1943 copper penny can be worth a million dollars as an extremely rare and sought after collectible coin.
Why was the US penny struck in zinc in 1943?
Nearly all circulating pennies at that time were struck in zinc–coated steel because copper and nickel were needed for the Allied war effort. Approximately 40 1943 copper–alloy cents are known to remain in existence.
What was the Steel Penny used for during World War 2?
During World War 2: The US needed to allocate as much copper as possible for the war effort and this included copper used for minting Lincoln Cents at the US Mint. Zinc-coated steel was used as the substitute metal composition and hence the new silver-like coin is known as the wartime steel cent or steel penny.
