They are probably bits of rust rather than copper chunks, so the coin is probably worth a few cents at most.
wipe the dust outta yer eyes its a copper penny
5-10 cents.
-In 1943, pennies were made out of steel instead of copper. A 1943 pure copper penny is a rare mint error, and is worth lots.
A 1942 copper penny is worth between $0.15 and $3.00. If you have a 1943 copper penny it is worth a lot more. In 1943 because of the war and the need for copper pennies in that year were made from steel. Steel pennies from 1943 are worth around $0.30 and $2.50. If you have a real 1943 copper penny take it to a coin shop or dealer and have them check it out to see if it is real.
The most valuable ones are the 1943 copper penny, and the even more rare 1944 steel penny.
1943. In 1943, to save copper for the war effort pennies were struck in zinc coated steel, however some copper blanks made their way into the press and were struck by accident, there are only a handful of known genuine examples of a copper 1943 penny and they can be worth in excess of 1 million dollars. However, steel 1943 pennies are incredibly common and are worth about 5 cents in circulated condition or a buck or two if uncirculated. An easy way to check if you have a steel or a copper penny is to hold a magnet up to it, the magnet will stick to the steel penny and not the copper penny.
What you have isn't copper, but you have a steel penny that is starting to rust. In that condition it is only worth about 2-3 cents or so. If uncirculated it might be worth a dollar or two. They are fairly common.
The 1943 penny was not made with copper, like all other years. Copper was funneled to the War Department so the 1943 penny was made from steel and other compounds.
it is not rare enough to have any value [will have value in about 3 years]
There isn't a "steel copper" penny. US cents were made of steel - but no copper - during 1943 to conserve copper for use in ammunition. Up till 1982 other dates of cents were made of a bronze alloy that was 95% copper, but no steel. A few 1943 cents were struck in bronze by accident but these are very rare and none have been found in many years.
A penny.
The 1944 steel penny is valued highly because it was produced using leftover steel from World War II, as the U.S. Mint switched back to copper for the penny in that year. In contrast, the 1943 steel penny, made from zinc-coated steel to conserve copper during the war, is much more common, making it less valuable. The rarity and historical significance of the 1944 steel penny contribute to its higher market price, while the 1943 version is abundant and widely circulated.