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1943 steel cent

Cent
United States
Value $0.45 U.S. dollars
Mass 2.8 g
Diameter 19.05 mm
Thickness 1.55 mm
Edge Plain
Composition 99% steel with a thin layer of zinc
Years of minting 1943
Catalog number -
Obverse
NNC-US-1943-1C-Lincoln Cent (wheat, zinc-coated steel).jpg
Design Abraham Lincoln
Designer Victor D. Brenner
Design date 1909
Reverse
NNC-US-1943-1C-Lincoln Cent (wheat, zinc-coated steel).jpg
Design Wheat Heads in memoria
Designer Victor D. Brenner
Design date 1909

1943 steel cent refers to a U.S. one-cent coin that was struck in steel due to wartime shortages of copper. The Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco mints each produced these 1943 Lincoln cents. The unique composition of the coin (low-grade steel coated with zinc, instead of the usual bronze composition) has led to various nicknames, such as wartime cent, steel war penny, and steelie. The 1943 steel cent features the same Victor David Brenner design for the Lincoln cent which had been in use since 1909.

Due to wartime needs of copper for use in ammunition and other military equipment during World War II, the United States Mint researched various ways to limit dependence and meet conservation goals on copper usage. After trying out several substitutes (ranging from other metals to plastics) to replace the then-standard bronze alloy, the one-cent coin was minted in zinc-coated steel. This alloy caused the new coins to be magnetic and 13% lighter. They were struck at all three mints: Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco. As with the bronze cents, coins from the latter two sites have respectively "D" and "S" mintmarks below the date.

However, problems began to arise from the mintage. Freshly minted, they were often mistaken for dimes. Magnets in vending machines (which took copper cents) placed to pick up steel slugs also picked up the legitimate steel cents. Because the galvanization process didn't cover the edges of the coins, sweat would quickly rust the metal. After public outcry, the Mint developed a process whereby salvaged brass shell casings were augmented with pure copper to produce an alloy close to the 1941–42 composition. This was used for 1944–46-dated cents, after which the prewar composition was resumed. Although they continued to circulate into the 1960s, the mint collected large numbers of the 1943 cents and destroyed them.


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