The Wheat Penny was designed by Victor David Brenner in the year 1909. This was to help save copper for World War II ammunition shells. 2) 1943 Copper Penny minted with extreme rarity due to most likely leftover copper planchets (blanks) from 1942. SIGN UP FOR EMAIL UPDATES AND TEXT MESSAGE ALERTS ABOUT PRODUCTS. Rare 1943 bronze penny sold for $200,000 Heritage Auctions, HA.com According to the American Numismatic Association, the 1943 copper–alloy cent is one of the most idealized and potentially one of the most sought–after items in American numismatics. The highest amount paid for a 1943 copper cent was $82,500 in 1996. Today, 1943 bronze cents typically fetch between $100,000 and $250,000. You see, the 1943 bronze cent isn’t the kind of coin you’ll be able to 100% authenticate on your own. The 1943 copper penny "is the most famous error coin," according to Heritage Auctions. RedStormShop. Celebrate a little—but don’t spend all your money quite yet. Because of this, Wheat Pennies are incredibly rare and highly sought after by coin collectors. During this time, the United States Mint was striking pennies from zinc-coated steel planchets. But since you are convinced you do, I recommend sending the coin to a third-party grading company, like PCGS, for certification and grading. My fiance has found a 1943 copper wheat penny no mintmark does not stick to magnet and it does not look altered. CSSocialMedia August 1, 2019 at 2:30 pm. The top left image shows the common 1943 penny made of zinc and steel. Get the best deals on 1943 Lincoln Wheat Copper Small Cents when you shop the largest online selection at eBay.com. Shipped with USPS First Class. In fact, 1943 copper wheat pennies are usually worth $100,000 or more! Back in 1981, an example of the 1943 bronze cent made national news when it sold for $10,000. Join us today for FREE! The 1943 bronze Lincoln cent first came to light in the mid-1940s and quickly took the numismatic world by storm. These can differ in color, due to aging patina, as all copper pennies do. These dealers also see plenty of rusty 1943 cents that “look like” copper to the collector. As a result, they were accidentally struck with 1943-dated dies. Almost every day, your typical coin dealer in Anytown, U.S.A. receives at least one or two calls from an excited individual who has “the” 1943 cent. Thank you for signing up with United States Mint! What’s more, even if you have a 1943 bronze cent passed down in your family from somebody who was a diehard collector, that doesn’t necessarily mean that coin is authentic. What does your 1943 cent weigh? Joshua McMorrow-Hernandez is a journalist, editor, and blogger who has won multiple awards from the Numismatic Literary Guild. There are 32 1943 copper wheat penny for sale on Etsy, and they cost $2,718.16 on average. 5 … Here’s how you can tell the difference between the common 1943 steel cent (typically worth 10 cents to $1) versus the 1943 bronze cent: Does your 1943 penny stick to a magnet? The 1943 Lincoln penny is made up of copper and has been described as the "most famous" coin made in error, according to Heritage Auctions, which … Warning: Many 1943 Copper Pennies are fakes. If it doesn’t, there’s a chance it may be the rare copper penny, but it still must be tested for authenticity. Because the 1943 penny is so valuable, many counterfeits have been made by coating pennies with copper. What about the “3”? Although this penny was found over eighty years ago, is a rare occasion, but nonetheless possible, that you can still find one today. Pennies can be lucky, especially if they're 1943 copper wheat pennies. © 2019 United States Mint All Rights Reserved. And what turns out happening virtually every time is the coin winds up being a fake—a 1943 steel cent plated in copper. Even if the coin you believe to be a 1943 copper cent checks out with your own tests—meaning it is NOT magnetic and weighs about 3.1 grams and appears to have an unaltered design (notice all the “ands,” not “ors” here)—then you should consider having it authenticated by reputable third-party grading service. Coin experts speculate that they were struck by accident when copper–alloy 1–cent blanks remained in the press hopper when production began on the new steel pennies. 1944 Steel Penny. And the bottom right image is the rare and authentic 1943 bronze wheat penny. Those cents weighing in increments of a gram will give a false positive here because of rounding. Even if you are sure you have the 100% real McCoy in your hands, there are too many fakes out there for anyone to buy a 1943 bronze cent without having complete certainty that it’s authentic. The top right image shows a common steel cent that someone has coated to make it appear bronze. Coin experts speculate that they were struck by accident when copper–alloy 1–cent blanks remained in the press hopper when production began on the new steel pennies. It not in mint state but is in very good condition what does he do since he is no member of the company’s that grade them? Back in 1981, an example of the 1943 bronze cent made national news when it sold for $10,000. Or maybe it’s an altered coin, perhaps a 1945, 1948, or 1949 Lincoln cent retooled to appear as a 1943. It’s quite literally the million-dollar question! Check out our 1943 wheat penny selection for the very best in unique or custom, handmade pieces from our coins & money shops. 1943 Copper Penny By far the rarest Lincoln cents are the 20 to 30 struck mistakenly on copper planchets in 1943, including the unique 1943-D that sold in … It is the copper dated 1943 that is rare and valuable and you can discern the copper plated using a magnet. Some 15 years later, another example sold for $82,500 at a 1996 auction. Any differences here on a suspected 1943 copper cent should send up huge red flags. To find out about coin experts in your area, you may call the American Numismatic Association at (719) 632–2646. But, while steel cents are quite common—more than 1 billion were made across the Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco Mints—it's the copper 1943 cent that’s rare. Because of its collector value, the 1943 copper cent has been counterfeited by coating steel cents with copper or by altering the dates of 1945, 1948, and 1949 pennies. Nearly all pennies from 1943 are supposed to be steel cents. If you think you have a 1943 bronze cent—and everything checks out with it so far, what you could do is bring it to a reputable coin dealer for an in-hand inspection. From shop RedStormShop. Rare 1943 wheat pennies are made from bronze — they look similar to most other copper pennies from other years. Seller assumes all responsibility for this listing. Time to part with my collection of coins one stand out coin is this 1943 copper penny weighs 3.17 grams don't have authentication certificate but if you got the cash and connections could easily fetch a 6 figure return .... do NOT contact me with unsolicited services or offers. The newer, silver appearance of the penny is the result of the U.S. Mint using a zinc coating over steel. The 1943 copper cent was produced at all three mints. However, a small number of bronze planchets left over from the 1942 production remained in the mint presses. For example, one 1943-D copper penny commanded a whopping $1.7 million when it sold at an auction in 2010. No matter the cause, 1943 copper pennies now sell for just under $100,000 each, according to our resources. However: A small number of copper planchets were left over from 1942 and were used in 1943 during the transition to steel planchets. Good for magic trick 'pretend to change a a steel penny into copper Would make a great addition to your coin collect Great gift for any coin collector! You could also consider consigning the authenticated coin with an auction company, which is how many 1943 bronze pennies are sold. United States Mint to Release Final America the Beautiful Circulating Quarter on January 4th, United States Mint 2021 Special Occasion Sets Available on January 5, United States Mint Announces New Quarter Dollar Reverse Design, United States Mint to Release Maryland American Innovation $1 Reverse Proof Coin on December 30, United States Mint Announces Designs for the National Law Enforcement Memorial and Museum Commemorative Coin Program, For information about the United States Mint, please visit the. Just as the Jefferson Nickel five-cent coin saw the removal of nickel from its composition in 1942 to preserve the metal for artillery production, so, too, did Lincoln Wheat Penny coins in 1943.Copper was completely eliminated from the denomination’s composition, in favor of a one-year-only type featuring a zinc-plated steel composition. Your browser is out of date. 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