1943 Steel Penny Value
In 1943 the US Mint struck cents in zinc-coated steel to save copper for the war. Hundreds of millions were made, so a circulated 1943 steel cent is common — typically worth a few cents to a dollar. The famous rarity is the opposite: a 1943 cent struck in copper by error.
Key facts
- Composition: zinc-coated steel (magnetic) — the only regular-issue US cent that sticks to a magnet.
- Common in circulated grades; uncirculated and reprocessed/“reprocessed shiny” examples carry small premiums.
- The genuine 1943 COPPER cent is a major rarity worth six figures — but the vast majority of “copper-looking” 1943 cents are simply steel cents that were copper-plated. A real one is non-magnetic.
- Tip: a magnet instantly separates the common steel cent from the rare copper error.
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