The US only made steel cents in 1943. Any silver-colored cents dated 1942 are plated.
You can always use a magnet to test a suspected steel coin. If it doesn't stick to a magnet it's not steel.
Check that coin again. There's no such thing as a 1942 steel cent.
No such thing. Steel cents were produced in 1943, not '42.
Steel cents were only struck in 1943. All 1942 cents were made of bronze. A bronze cent will not stick to a magnet; a steel one will.
The steel cents were only struck in 1943 and have values of 3 to 5 cents depending on condition
US steel cents were only in 1943, on average, value is 5 cents
All modern pennies are made out of zinc. If you are thinking of a 1943 steel penny that is a very common coin that is worth at most a dollar. If you have a 1942 steel penny that is a misprint error made by the mint and is very valuable. (be sure to have it certified by multiple sources including NGC) I hope that this helps.
The best way to find out if it is real, simply use a magnet. It will cling to the magnet if it is a real steel penny.
The value depends on the percentage of the off-strike. For a 1942 wheat penny the value will probably be around $5-$10 dollars.
A 1943 steel penny with no mintmark can be worth $.35 - $1.50
A 1943 steel penny is worth just that 1cent.
A 1942 penny is primarily made of copper. During 1942, due to the need for copper in World War II, some pennies were minted with steel coated in zinc instead of the usual bronze composition. These steel pennies are known as "1943 steel pennies."
Average value is 3 to 5 cents