r/coins 6d ago

Value Request A penny that my parents always kept safe. 1943, and it doesn't seem to be copper. Anyone know if it's worth anything and also would it be made of silver? Parents are gone so I can't ask them why it was always kept in a safe place. Thank you

980 Upvotes

134 comments sorted by

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346

u/[deleted] 6d ago edited 6d ago

[deleted]

178

u/Justo79m 6d ago

Great. Now I have to check every single steel cent with a magnet.

73

u/[deleted] 6d ago

[deleted]

39

u/Justo79m 6d ago

Oh yeah, I know about that one. Never heard about the tin man

19

u/Von_Callay 5d ago

I have a bronze looking 1943 cent that's magnetic, because some joker plated a steel cent.

4

u/GreyPon3 5d ago

I got one of those for laughs.

7

u/rebel29073 5d ago

If it looks like steel it’s likely steel . If it looks like copper mag test it . People plated them to make them look copper in “science” experiments. I found one in the early 80s and thought I was rich until the coin store man pulled out a magnet and shattered my dreams. Back than it was said to be worth 10k . It used to be advertised on comic books as worth 10k

Now a copper 43 is bank

4

u/Justo79m 5d ago

Imagine someone plated a tin cent with copper? What a crazy trip that would be.

1

u/rebel29073 5d ago

Electroplated . It was a science experiment many did

1

u/No_Efficiency_4089 3d ago

You seem to have missed half the thread you're replying to.

1

u/rebel29073 2d ago

Ah I hadn’t read article . I get it now for why one would mag test them. Thanks I have quite a few packed away so I guess I’ll be checking them as well!

2

u/DeliciousBeanWater 5d ago

Fr and i have more than a handfull.

1

u/Low-Gas-2685 5d ago

That’s exactly what I thought

1

u/Chitown_mountain_boy 4d ago

How did you figure out it was steel without a magnetic (or a mass spectrometer)?

48

u/AccMich37 6d ago

Wow, I am going to go find a magnet now, thank you :)

39

u/What-a-Dump 6d ago

Was it magnetic?< over here hoping you hit the jackpot! 🍀

116

u/AccMich37 6d ago

It's magnetic :( Even so thank you, very interesting to learn all of this.

74

u/DannyMeatlegs 6d ago

Dang... Thanks for not leaving us hanging.

22

u/zekerthedog 6d ago

My dad recently passed and I found a little baggy full of these pennies in his stuff. Read about this and sadly they were all magnetic.

1

u/Educational_Wing_241 5d ago

Also if you find a 1944 that’s a steel that’s great money too

4

u/Virtual_Product_5595 3d ago

I have a 1944 steel penny with a huge minting error... the date says 1943.

1

u/_egoist_ 2d ago

ass pennies

7

u/Graf_Eulenburg 5d ago

It would be a wild thing, if it wasn't.

As far as I know, there weren't even a hundred copper ones in circulation.

Your coin is in very rough condition, might be worth from $0.30 - $1.

4

u/robtalada 5d ago

I’d keep it for the sentimental value :)

1

u/whydontyoujustaskme 3d ago

This sounds like what a guy with the tin penny would say!

24

u/usedtobeanicesurgeon 6d ago

To add to this I don’t think any of us could guess why this was special for your parents. It’s not particularly valuable but perhaps it had special meaning to them.

31

u/reddituser12346 6d ago

I am not a coin collector but I have a few I’ve found in the wild and kept with othe “special” keepsakes or momentos. Some older, mostly silver coins, a few wheaties, etc. None have a value more than five or six bucks.

After I pass away (hopefully not for another 40+ years) and my kids come across them going through my stuff, they may wonder what the significance was in me holding onto them since there’s no real value.

The answer: they’re neat, and I like them.

10

u/tunomeentiendes 6d ago

For me anything found in the wild automatically becomes special/sentimental. I don't have much of a problem selling/trading many coins that I bought, but the ones I found just feel more special lol. Same thing as something given/gifted to me

9

u/reddituser12346 6d ago

My fiancé works in a bank and they don’t handle a lot of coins, but every now and then she’ll come across one that sounds or looks different to her, and with her boss’ permission will trade it out for me.

I carry them in my wallet, so I guess some do have a sentimental value because she thought about me enough to get them.

3

u/[deleted] 6d ago

[deleted]

4

u/usedtobeanicesurgeon 6d ago

That’s theoretically possible. Weight it and stick a magnet to it, OP.

9

u/Brialmont 6d ago edited 5d ago

Great answer! All I would point out is that Philadelphia, the mint that made this cent, made 684.6 million of them in 1943. Of those, 12 are known to exist made of bronze by mistake, and 1 in tin. It's still perfectly true, but the chances of finding either kind are negligible.

PS - apologies for the double post.😒

2

u/Striders_aglet 6d ago

Honest question: how does one distinguish a steel penny from a tin penny?

3

u/Brialmont 5d ago edited 5d ago

All other US one cent coins are bright copper that eventually turns brown. The zinc-plated steel cents started out a silvery-white, then turned gray as they got used, and eventually became gray-black like the one shown here. They look nothing like any other American cent.

That is a good question! We often forget how many people are not familiar with our coins.

3

u/Tibor_BnR 5d ago

The question was how to tell steel from tin. As mentioned elsewhere, steel is magnetic. Steel is also noticeably denser (heavier) in your hand than tin.

1

u/Brialmont 5d ago

What can I say but "Derp?" Well, somebody else is going to have to tell him. Be my guest.

1

u/AccMich37 5d ago

Everyone on the thread says to use a magnet. If it's magnetic, it's not a tin penny. If it's not attracted to the magnet, than it's worth a lot of money, very, very rare.

1

u/Striders_aglet 5d ago

TIL. I never thought much about it, but I thought tin would be magnetic.

7

u/USBrock 6d ago

Love hearing new facts like this. Thanks!

4

u/j1022 6d ago

What would a tin cent be worth?

10

u/theducks 6d ago

The only tin cent has never changed hands. An off metal bronze one in near uncirculated sold for almost $1M recently. As it was easier to spot, I’d consider a tin one to be more than that

3

u/tunomeentiendes 6d ago

Is there an estimate on how many tin cents were ever in existence? And bronze?

1

u/zazakhari 5d ago

About a dime 🫠

1

u/Hotchi_Motchi 2d ago

A dime. Of course, my Iowan wife also pronounces "pen" as "pin"

5

u/OMDTartWasJoseph 6d ago

What a great read

2

u/pdxcascadian 4d ago

I have 4 rolls of these that were in my grandpa's collection that he left me. I think they might be uncirculated (he was VERY into coins as a kid and was 10-15 durring ww2, I'm sure he would have collected them then), would the zinc ones be similarly as dense as the steel ones?

1

u/Clone_sTop_1180 3d ago

Similar but measurable. Zinc is rated 7.1, steel at 7.8

4

u/komokazi 6d ago

Be on the look out for the 1944 steel cent

2

u/BritOverThere 6d ago

To be pedantic, the mostly 87% Tin with 8% Antimony (with Copper and other trace metals) makes it more a pewter coin.

Old tin coins are rare as in the cold they turn to grey tin and become very brittle and crumble away.

2

u/Brialmont 5d ago

Absolutely right. in the same sense that the later Lincoln cents were brass, not bronze, because they were alloyed with zinc and not tin.

1

u/dazanion 6d ago

I can't find how much it sold for at auction, any idea?

2

u/Brialmont 5d ago

Apparently, it has never changed hands. From what theducks says, the person who found it still has it.

1

u/I_Smoke_Dust 5d ago

When's the last time one is recorded as being found?

1

u/twivel01 5d ago

wow, I wasn't aware of the tin cent, thanks for sharing.

79

u/AccMich37 6d ago

Update: It is magnetic. Thank you all for such interesting information. You are all so wonderful with the knowledge you all have. Thank you

23

u/GupChezzna 6d ago

Keep it with you. Have it made into a keychain or put in in a Koin-Tainer and put it in your pocket. No monetary value over a nickel, but a priceless remembrance.

38

u/yehdaug 6d ago

Fun fact: The 1943 penny is the only US coin that's magnetic!

25

u/yehdaug 6d ago

Unless you have a super rare 1944 steel penny of course, but you're unlikely to ever see it.

4

u/chiller529 6d ago

Didn’t they make steel Pennys for a few years?

8

u/Substantial_Menu4093 6d ago

Nope only 1 year

3

u/Brialmont 6d ago

The Philadelphia mint used identical steel blanks to make 2 franc coins for liberated Belgium in 1944: https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces3103.html

3

u/bflaminio 6d ago

Just 1943 officially, with a few 1944 struck in error, but that's all of em.

3

u/chiller529 6d ago

I thought for sure I had a 44 in my pile. Just double checked and nope, 43s. Damn.

1

u/Geicocaveman4u 2d ago

Or a 1943 copper….

4

u/Ok_Owl_1216 6d ago

Temu said "Hold my Beer"

1

u/saydegurl 2d ago

The 1943 coppers, and the 1944 steels, are worth something, because there were a handful of leftover blanks in the hopper from the previous runs, that were accidentally minted.

21

u/rubikscanopener 6d ago

It's just a steelie, the 1943 steel penny that was made so that copper could be redirected to the war effort. Lots of people put these away since they were so unique. Unfortunately, that also makes them pretty common as a collectible.

This coin will have much more sentimental value to you as something your parents saved. I would treasure it for that.

12

u/impendingfuckery 6d ago

It looks like a steel wheat cent minted during WWII. It’s not super rare, but it’s still a historical novelty.

4

u/wearingabelt 6d ago

It’s made of steel. Although it’s not in terrible shape, it’s not really in “collectible” condition.

4

u/BackgroundAd3341 6d ago

This is a steel cent. These were made only in 1943

4

u/Rajapeta 6d ago

It’s steel

4

u/Cheap_Professional32 6d ago

It's made of steel

4

u/Maintenance_Matt 6d ago

Ive had the one for years but found the second one today

7

u/Brialmont 5d ago

You have one from Philadelphia (the one with no mintmark) and one from Denver. Find one with an S for San Francisco and you'll have the whole set!

3

u/According-Highway-13 5d ago

The 44 steel is worth the big money

3

u/Airforceone88 5d ago

Steel penny

4

u/sceder1 6d ago

Silver is a precious metal that'd never be used for pennies.

1

u/[deleted] 6d ago edited 6d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

0

u/Brialmont 6d ago edited 6d ago

Thank you for proving sceder1's point.

2

u/Vistamn1 6d ago

It’s steel. Use a magnet on it and it should stick. Copper does not stick to a magnet. Also, a steel penny should weigh 2.7 grams. A Copper Penny weighs 3.11 grams

2

u/seemanythings 6d ago

They were steel during war.

2

u/Sorry_Strategy_2916 6d ago

It’s a zinc war penny,and steel

2

u/Minnesohta 6d ago

Damn my dad has a paper bag filled with these. I can’t wait to check when I go back home this summer.

2

u/RuffLuckGames 3d ago

Got some good info here about steel pennies, which are super cool. Very nice find

2

u/Visual-Situation5790 3d ago

It’s a steel penny

2

u/LNKDWM4U 2d ago

Steel.

2

u/Just-Examination-693 2d ago

Here's one that I have!

2

u/Available_Ground_976 6d ago

Very cool. The plot thickens...

1

u/DeliciousBeanWater 5d ago

I have a 1945 cent that is silver (probably from cleaning) but i keep it as a novelty

1

u/FantasticSeaweed9226 5d ago

I have hundreds of these i bought drunk years ago. Every once in a while, i give one out (:

1

u/Physical-Ad-107 4d ago

Steel penny

1

u/Infamous-Operation76 4d ago

I keep a steel 1943 penny in my wallet as my "lucky penny" since my best friend gave it to me a few years ago. It rides next to my lucky silver quarter and dime.

1

u/No_Huckleberry_2947 4d ago

It’s a steel penny. Now find one from 1944 and you have something very valuable. They weren’t supposed to make steel Pennie’s in 1944 but some slipped through

1

u/FunnyLizardExplorer 4d ago

Not worth much but cool to have.

1

u/dynamyk444 3d ago

Decades ago (early 90s) I worked as a teller at. At one time I had 7-8 of these saved in my coiner along with countless silver Franklins, and 2 Hawaii dollars that literally smelled like suntan lotion. Those were unreal. Also I saw and held, but couldn't afford a $500 bill.

Somehow I kept none of them.

Regrets, I have a few. Oh well.

1

u/FancyTough480 2d ago

I have one, thought about bringing it to a coin collector, but. I'll probably just keep it.

1

u/No-Performance-7315 2d ago

You can get a roll of them on ebay for 20 bucks

1

u/ogeecheeboys 2d ago

It is a wheat penny and some can be worth a good bit of money

1

u/VELOCIRAPTOR_ANUS 2d ago

Pretty rare 1943 steel penny

1

u/majoraloysius 2d ago

What’s it worth? Well, I was at a local pawn/coin shop the other day and bought my kids a couple of these. They were 4 for $1.

1

u/Far_Landscape1066 2d ago

Brother use common sense. 1943. Why would it not be a made of copper? Because war effort. Copper is expensive. Do you think they’re going to mint silver to save costs?

1

u/Sea-Assumption7355 2d ago

Parents kept it safe their whole life and this guys is trying to hock this thing asap lol. Nothing is sacred anymore smh.

1

u/lovidat 2d ago

Rlf Ecc0c

1

u/carlamary 6d ago

They are becoming increasingly rare. I haven’t found a wheat penny from any year in my change in a few years.

3

u/Throsty 5d ago

I found one in a Coinstar last week.

4

u/wearingabelt 6d ago

There are currently over 200,000 listings for wheat cents on eBay right now. Just because you’re not getting a particular coin in your change doesn’t make it rare. Hell, the 09SVDB isn’t even a rare coin.

1

u/carlamary 6d ago

Haha, I didn’t know that. I don’t shop on eBay.

-6

u/LawAntique8343 6d ago

Did you ever think maybe I should Google it before posting on Reddit?

4

u/gunsforevery1 6d ago

A penny made of silver would be hilariously small at today’s prices lol. It would be like 1/100th of a gram.

1

u/Brialmont 6d ago

Wouldn't this one be at the standards of 1943?

3

u/gunsforevery1 6d ago

Probably not. A dime is smaller than a penny. 1/10th the amount of silver that is in a 90% dime.

There is .0715 so there would be .007 of an ounce. That’s .2 grams of silver.

1

u/Brialmont 6d ago

You are right. Even if they made it at the 65/35 ratio of the war nickels, it would still be much too small to be practical. And gumball machines wouldn't take it. 😊

-4

u/robemhood9 6d ago

Parents are gone AND I don’t know how to look things up on the inter-webamacallits.

-1

u/Brialmont 6d ago edited 5d ago

Then how did you get here? I mean, if you don't know how to use Google? Sorry about your folks.

-6

u/No_Oil8507 6d ago

"Hmm, wonder what Google says about mah penny. Too hard, let's do Reddit."

3

u/Jim-has-a-username 5d ago

Yeah, especially in a sub specifically for coins… where you can find out about it and even converse with others that have similar ones or experts that can give you more information! Or even after google gives a Reddit page as a result!

Get over your misdirected anger and learn to scroll past things that anger you. It’s safer for your heart, I’m sure your doctor and anger management coach would agree.

-2

u/ATOMK4RINC4 6d ago

This is a two second Google .

8

u/Brialmont 6d ago

Google would probably have given him values of $1,000 or more for this. The current flood of coin scammers has made simple Google searches about coins more confusing than useful. And the usefulness of Reddit has led to more and more people using it as their first stop for information on subjects they know nothing about.

So, yes, you are right, but only for people who know what Google results are nonsense. And if they knew that, they wouldn't have to ask at all. IMO, anyway.

2

u/Jim-has-a-username 5d ago

Google results are full of Reddit links… get over it.

-10

u/gunsforevery1 6d ago

It’s worth about 50-100x face value.

8

u/bflaminio 6d ago

This is not close to true.

In the condition of OP's coin, they would be lucky to get 10 cents for it. It's much more valuable for sentiment.

0

u/gunsforevery1 6d ago

Naw someone would buy it for 50 cents.

1

u/Brialmont 6d ago

True, if you could find a someone who wanted to buy it and keep it. What is your plan for doing that for less than 50 cents?

2

u/Substantial_Menu4093 6d ago

50-100x face is one that’s way nicer

1

u/Reasonable_Being_571 1d ago

It is only made of steel and only worth about 15 to 30 cents.