By Charles Morgan and Hubert Walker for CoinWeek Notes …..
1943 Copper Pennies (officially known as 1943 Copper Lincoln Cents) have been discovered in various locations, including cafeterias, gumball machines, and in circulation. A Mint Chief Engraver even privately held one, and another is rumored to have been taken by an employee from the Denver Mint.
Despite the slim odds of finding a genuine one, people frequently contact us to ask for help authenticating their 1943 copper pennies. This is a common and understandable request, as these coins resemble any other copper penny, and the discovery of a genuine one could be a life-changing event.
Let’s take a brief look at the 1943 Lincoln Cent and the reasons why those struck in copper are so rare.
Why Did the Penny Change in 1943?
For those unfamiliar with them, 1943 copper pennies are a popular mint error. The United States Mint accidentally struck one-cent coins that year using planchets not intended for production. This error is intriguing because the cents were supposed to be made from a different metal in 1943, but the error coins resemble standard copper pennies struck in any other year.
During World War II, the Mint was ordered to use an alternative metal for coinage, as copper was a strategic material needed for the war effort. The Mint began searching for an alternative to the copper cent as early as 1942, and various experimental coins were considered, including a 1942 glass cent pattern. Some of these experimental coins made their way into the collector market and are valuable in their own right.
Ultimately, a composition of zinc-plated steel was chosen, and all one-cent coins struck in 1943 were supposed to be made from this metal. However, a handful of copper planchets were accidentally used, resulting in this exciting and rare error coin.
Where Were They Made?
The 1943 cent was struck at three United States Mint locations: Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco. The presence or absence of a mintmark indicates the mint of origin. On the 1943 copper penny, these mintmarks are easy to find. Coins struck at the Philadelphia Mint have no mintmark under the date, while those from the Denver and San Francisco mints will be identifiable by the presence of a small “D” or “S,” respectively, also located under the date.
The Mint intended for all 1943 cents to be made of a zinc-plated steel composition. When new, these coins had a silvery-white. Over time and with normal use, this color changes to a dull slate grey or charcoal.
The total mintage for the issue is as follows:
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- Philadelphia Mint: 684,628,670 (10 to 15 copper examples are known)
- Denver Mint: 217,660,000 (only one copper example is known)
- San Francisco Mint: 191,550,000 (only five copper examples are known).
How Do I Know if My 1943 Copper Penny Is Genuine?
Attempts to counterfeit 1943 copper pennies began shortly after the release of the 1943 steel cent, as rumors about these off-metal mint errors captured the public’s imagination. One rumor claimed that the Ford Motor Company was offering a new car in exchange for one. In reality, Ford never made such an offer, but had they done so, the deal would have ultimately been more beneficial to them than to the person who received the new car.
However, genuine examples did eventually start to appear. The first San Francisco Mint example was discovered in 1944 by collector Kenneth S. Wing, Jr. of Long Beach, California. At the time, Wing was offered $500 for the coin but declined the offer.
For years, Wing tried to get the coin authenticated. He wrote to Acting Director of the Mint Leland Howard, who responded on August 20, 1946, stating, “in reference to your letter of August 11th, there were no copper cents struck during the calendar year 1943 at any of the coinage Mints. Only the zinc-coated steel cent was struck during that year.” Wing then showed the coin to the superintendent of the San Francisco Mint in 1948, who told him that it was authentic. In 1957, Wing tried to have the Treasury Department authenticate the coin, and they referred him to the Smithsonian Institution. Vladimir Clain-Steanelli was convinced that the coin was authentic.
In 1947, Don Lutes discovered the first one from the Philadelphia Mint. He acquired his in change from his high school cafeteria in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.
Over time, other examples were discovered. The stories of how and by whom are often chronicled in auction lot descriptions. While the public was widely aware of these rare copper pennies, genuine examples were not readily available for purchase.
To capitalize on this situation, counterfeiters began their work.
Since the 1950s, various manipulations have been used to make common copper pennies from the 1940s appear to be genuine 1943 off-metal errors. As some of these altered coins can be deceptive to a non-expert, third-party authentication is essential.
To authenticate this or any coin, CoinWeek recommends one of three companies: CAC Grading in Virginia Beach, Virginia; NGC in Sarasota, Florida; and PCGS in Santa Ana, California. For a fee, these services will authenticate your coin and, if genuine, place it in a secure, market-accepted coin holder. This process is a requirement before any coin dealer will purchase the coin or before any major auction service will agree to sell it.
To save yourself time, money, and disappointment, a 1943 copper penny must meet the following minimum requirements to be considered genuine:
- 1943 copper pennies are nonmagnetic
- 1943 copper pennies weigh 3.11 grams
- the 3 of the date of 1943 copper penny will be identical to the 3 on a steel cent
- the strike quality of all genuine 1943 copper pennies is sharp, with clear designer’s initials and raised rims. These details can be muted on worn coins, however.
How Does the 1943 Copper Penny Rank in Terms of the Most Valuable U.S. Coins?
While quite rare, the 1943 is not the most valuable United States coin. That honor goes to the nearly impossible-to-own 1933 Saint Gaudens $20 gold double eagle, which last sold for $18.9 million in 2021. 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.
The 1943-S cents are rarer than the Philadelphia strikes, and are worth between $300,000 and a million dollars based on their condition.
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Market Data and Noteworthy Specimens
Top Population: PCGS MS63RD (1, 8/2025), NGC MS63BN (1, 8/2025), and CAC MS62BN (2:0 stickered:graded, 8/2025).
- PCGS MS3RD: Stack’s Bowers, January 22, 2013, Lot 13258 – $164,500. Spotted. Struck on 91.7% copper, 7.5% zinc, 08% silver alloy.
- PCGS MS62BN CAC #41955782: Albert Michael Pratt. As NGC MS62BN #2067200-002. Heritage Auctions, August 2017, Lot 3899; Heritage Auctions, April 24, 2021, Lot 5001 – $348,000. Tick over 4 on date.
- PCGS MS62BN CAC #40273606: Marvin Beyer, Jr., discovered in circulation in 1957; Beyer to Greer Company of Los Angeles, 1959 – $40,000. As ANACS MS61 #50035361. Superior, October 2000, Lot 4146 – $60,375. As PCGS MS61BN. “The Benson Collection,” Goldberg Coins, February 2003, Lot 148 – $97,750. As PCGS MS62BN CAC #40273606. “The Bob R. Simpson Collection, Part IV,” Heritage Auctions, February 23, 2021, Lot 3008 – $372,000. Blue green toning.
- PCGS MS61RB #50040291: PCGS user “James Schirrippa”.
- PCGS AU58 #25510132: Heritage Auctions, January 2016, Lot 5266 – $305,500.
- PCGS AU55: Stack’s Bowers, January 22, 2013, Lot 13257 – $317,250.
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Design
Obverse:
Litvak-American artist Victor David Brenner’s portrait of Abraham Lincoln depicts the president from the shoulder up. Lincoln is dressed in a period suit and is wearing a bow tie. Brenner’s initials V.D.B. appear in Lincoln’s shoulder truncation. At the top of the design wrapping around the rim is the motto IN GOD WE TRUST. The word LIBERTY appears behind Lincoln’s neck, on the left side of the coin. The date 1943 appears slightly lower, in front of Lincoln’s portrait, on the coin’s right side.
Reverse:
Brenner’s “Wheat Cent” reverse. Two sheaths of wheat wrap around the right and the left side of the coin. At the top of the design, the motto E · PLURIBUS · UNUM wraps around the rim. The denomination ONE CENT is inscribed in large sans serif letters, with the bottom arm of each “E” extending beyond the arm at the top (the middle arm is recessed). Beneath the denomination, in the same font but a smaller type, is the legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
Edge:
The edge of the 1943 Lincoln Copper Cent is plain, without reeding or edge lettering.
Designer
Victor David Brenner, born in Lithuania in 1871, immigrated to New York at the age of 19. The classically trained sculptor built a group of clients, which included the future president Theodore Roosevelt. Having previously created a medallion of Lincoln, Brenner was contracted by Roosevelt in 1908 to use one of his previous images of the 16th president for a new design of the cent. At the time of his death, Brenner had carved over 125 different medals, sculptures, and coins (View Designer’s Profile).
Coin Specifications
| Country: | United States of America |
| Year of Issue: | 1943 |
| Denomination: | One Cent (USD) |
| Mintmark: | None (Philadelphia) |
| Mintage: | 17 known |
| Alloy: | .950 copper, .050 tin and zinc |
| Weight: | 3.11 g |
| Diameter: | 19.00 mm |
| Edge: | Plain |
| OBV Designer: | Victor David Brenner |
| REV Designer: | Victor David Brenner |
| Quality: | Business Strike |
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