1943 penny (2024)

FAQs

How to tell if a 1943 penny is valuable? ›

The easiest way to determine whether or not your 1943 Cent has collectible value—to see if it is possibly bronze rather than steel—is simply to test it with a magnet. If the coin is magnetic, then it is, unfortunately, the common steel version and is not valuable in most cases.

For a Lincoln cent, however, the 1943 copper penny is extremely valuable, with circulated examples selling at auction in the past two years bringing between $240,000 and $336,000. The unique 1943-D copper penny is held in a longterm collection and carries an estimated value of over one million dollars.

Unfortunately, when coins have no mint mark it does not make them more valuable. Coins with no mint mark are by default minted in Philadelphia. 684,628,670 steel Pennies were minted at Philadelphia with no mintmark, so each one is worth between $1-2.

How do I know if I have the copper 1943 Wheat Penny? This is a very simple test. Go get a magnet. If the coin sticks to the magnet, it's made of steel and worth about 10 cents.

Steel pennies minted in Philadelphia in 1943 are common nowadays, meaning you can get one used piece for $0.13 to $0.30. Those in the mint state come in a wide price range from several cents for those in MS 60 rank to $3,600 for MS 68-graded ones.

According to Lukes, there are 17 1943 Bronze Cents known (10 from Philadelphia, six from San Francisco, and one from Denver); this conflicts with another census that lists 12 from Philadelphia.

The 1943 Penny is a steel penny. If you see no mint mark, the absence of a mint mark means it was minted in Philadelphia. CMV (Current market value) in circulated condition is in the range $2-3. In fine condition (it would need to be professionally graded) value can be in the range $10-12.

The 1943 Lincoln, Steel cent should stick to a magnet and the red is a form of oxidization (rust) - the missing 4 is the result of a grease filled die (where the sunken area of the die is filled and prevents a design element from being fully struck).

Over 100 million 1943-S Steel Cents were struck, making them very common today.

Magnet Test

Pass a sizeable magnet, preferably larger than a refrigerator magnet, over your penny. Did it pick the penny up? If it did not pick the penny up or attract it with a noticeable force, it is not a steel penny. If it picked the penny up, your penny is made from steel.

What is the rarest mint on a penny? ›

1943 Lincoln Cent Struck on Bronze Alloy

The 1943-S version of this coin struck at the San Francisco Mint is the most rare version of this penny, with only six known examples in existence. The highest amount ever paid for a 1943 bronze cent was $82,000 in 1996.

1943 Copper Pennies Are Insanely Valuable

A small handful of pennies produced in 1943 were mistakenly made with the normal bronze alloy containing 95% copper and 5% tin. The 1943 copper penny is extremely rare and valuable. Only a couple dozen pieces were made and exist today, and each is worth about $100,000.

Some mint marks are scarcer than others like the S in this coin's case, meaning that 1943-S steel pennies are often the most valuable (not including coins with rare errors). In addition to mint marks, it's essential to check for mint errors that may have occurred during the coin's production.

Although they continued to circulate into the 1960s, the mint collected large numbers of the 1943 cents and destroyed them. The steel cent is the only regular-issue United States coin that can be picked up with a magnet.

Coins with mistakes, such as a double die or missing letters, can be worth significantly more than their regular counterparts. Another way is to look for specific years known to be scarce or have low mintage numbers. Collectors also value wheat pennies with a high level of detail and minimal wear.