$1.2M 1943 Steel Penny: The iconic Steel penny in the USA is getting attention from treasure collectors. Usually the penny is made by Copper plated zinc, but due to special conditions in 1943, mints in USA made the penny using Steel zinc. But now This iconic coin is very demanding in the market and money collectors are paying up to 1.2M USD for a single penny.
So if you also have interest to collect old coins then you should check the latest demanding currency in USA where you can earn a huge money by selling a single penny. We will share with you the history of iconic Steel Penny including why it is in demand, Reasons of issuing Steel penny etc.
What is the story of iconic Steel Penny?
The iconic steel penny story begins during World War II. In 1943, the U.S. Mint needed copper for the war effort. Due to the shortage of copper elements at that time, they decided to make pennies from steel instead.
These new pennies were coated with zinc, giving them a shiny, silver color. However, a few copper pennies were accidentally made that year because leftover copper planchets were used. The steel pennies are common, but the rare copper ones are very valuable. Collectors love them because they tell a story of how the war changed everyday life. The steel penny is a symbol of creativity and resourcefulness during tough times.
Importance of Steel penny in USA
- Replacement of copper zinc: The penny is Very common coin in USA which is usually created using copper. But it was the first time when the government had to make penny with steel zinc. So it is a historical coin where mints change the material of the coin from copper to Steel.
- History of hard days: The incident of issuing Steel penny in the country is indicating the hard days of USA while engaging in World War 2. However it is important to check how country progressed and recovered its shortage of copper in a very short time and again issue copper penny accordingly.
- The 1943 copper pennies were minted in three locations: Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco. Each penny has a mintmark to show where it was made: no mark for Philadelphia, a “D” for Denver, and an “S” for San Francisco. The rarity of these pennies varies, with Philadelphia being the most common and San Francisco the rarest. This makes them interesting and valuable for collectors.
- Rareness of Copper Penny: However all the mints issued the Steel penny in 1943, but due to technically fault minor errors, few copper coins were already made in these mints, So there are a very little amount of copper pennies available in the market which were issued in 1943.
So it is the biggest reason why the 1943 Steel penny is in demand.
How to check if you have the original copper Penny of 1943?
To identify if you have a unique 1943 copper penny, follow these steps:
- Check the Date: Make sure the penny is dated 1943.
- Look for the Mintmark: Examine the back of the penny. If it has no mintmark, it was minted in Philadelphia. If it has a “D,” it’s from Denver, and if it has an “S,” it’s from San Francisco.
- Magnet Test: Use a magnet. The 1943 steel pennies are magnetic, while the rare copper penny is not. If your penny sticks to the magnet, it’s not the copper version.
- Inspect the Color: The copper penny will have a reddish-brown color, while the steel penny is silver and shiny.
- Check for Weight: The copper penny weighs about 3.11 grams, while the steel penny weighs around 2.7 grams. You can use a scale to check this.
If your penny passes these tests, you may have the rare 1943 copper penny. So you can check your collections of pennies and get the opportunity to sell your unique copper penny with a huge price to the coin collectors.
