What is the value of a 1943 US cent?

Answer 1

They made over a billion of these steel pennies in 1943. They are fairly common in good condition, since people tended to squirrel them away when they were issued because they were unusual.

Look on the front of the coin to see if there's a small mint mark letter below the date. It may be blank or there may be a D or S.

Numismedia lists the following approximate retail values as of 08/2014:

No mint mark (Philadelphia):

Very worn condition - $0.06

Moderately worn - $0.17

Slightly worn - $0.26

Almost no wear - $0.70

Uncirculated - $1.04 to $1310.00 depending on quality

"D" mint mark (Denver):

Very worn - $0.07

Moderately worn - $0.24

Slightly worn - $0.40

Almost no wear - $0.80

Uncirculated - $1.44 to $1590.00

"S" mint mark (San Francisco):

Very worn - $0.08

Moderately worn - $0.32

Slightly worn - $0.46

Almost no wear - $1.20

Uncirculated - $3.45 to $2970.00

DISCLAIMER: The retail values quoted are the best available as of the date shown, but may vary due to market fluctuations. Also the wholesale (buying) price of a coin will be less than the selling (retail) price. A reputable coin dealer will be able to give a more accurate valuation based on inspection of the coin.

Why steel?

The coins were made of steel because copper was a strategic metal, needed for making ammunition, wiring, and other things for the war effort. Unfortunately the steel cents were unsuccessful almost from the start. They were confused with dimes, rusted when the zinc plating wore through, or deteriorated because a lot of the steel was low-grade scrap not suited for military use. Bronze cent production was resumed in 1944 using copper recycled from spent shell casings.

1943 Copper Cents

There were a few "copper" (actually a copper, zinc, & tin alloy) 1943 cents made, but most of them are believed to have been found already. A few bronze planchets left over from 1942 were accidentally left in a hopper and got mixed in with the new steel planchets. They weren't detected so they were struck with the 1943 date and released to circulation.

There are carloads of fake versions, including modified 1948 cents and copper-plated 1943 steel cents. If you have a 1943 copper cent and it doesn't stick to a magnet, get it certified first! This will also get it graded, which will help in its eventual sale

Myths about 1943 pennies

Many people are confused about the metal used to make these coins. Because they were silver-colored when new, they were thought to be made of silver or aluminum. After a while the zinc started to discolor and the coins took on an ugly gray color that made others claim they were made of lead. But if you think about it for a couple of seconds, none of these could be true:

> A silver cent would have been worth more than a dime!

> An aluminum cent would be so light you could blow it away with a sneeze.

> A lead cent would be so soft you could bend it with your fingers

> Most importantly, NONE of those metals would stick to a magnet !!!

Link to answer added

It's zinc-coated steel, NOT silver. On average, one is worth around 10 cents. If it's still shiny with the zinc coating intact, then the value is bumped up to about one dollar.

Depends on where you sell it, probably not much.

Answer 2

A dime if well-worn, up to maybe 65 or 70 cents if almost uncirculated.