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STEEL
Wartime Pennies
Silver Colored Lincoln Cents from 1943? What are they and Why? |
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One of the most Historically significant stories behind any US Coin is the 1943 Steel Cent, an Unusual Oddity
Why on earth would the US Mint make a US Cent with steel?
When first introduced, these Strange cents were "shunned" by the general population ... they were often called "lead pennies", "lead cents", or "steelies". When "Brand New", the 1943 cents looked like and were often mistaken for dimes, and in 1943, making a 9 cent mistake was HUGE! When these cents corroded, they looked like slugs, hence the nick name, "lead pennies." In 1945 the mint began to Withdraw steel cents from circulation! In the next 20 years the mint retrieved almost 15% of the steel pennies that were minted and DESTROYED THEM ALL! The Steel Cent is seldom seen in pristine condition. Because the two metals are not compatible in moist atmospheres, they quickly corrode. Over the years, crafty and unscrupulous dealers began to alter these coins ... the outside coatings were stripped down and were "Reprocessed" with a glistening new coating. BEWARE of "Reprocessed" Coins ... they have NO Numismatic Value due to the manipulation of their original condition! We have decided that is was only fair to offer to collectors a complete set of Steel Pennies in UNALTERED Condition. So ... we exclusively searched out for some unaltered Steel Cents in their original condition, just as they came off the US Mint Presses back in 1943! We only bought the Nicest ones we could find! Our painstaking efforts are temporarily over and the coins are now available until our inventory is depleted. You will receive 3 Steel Cents, all in Uncirculated Condition, one from each mint (Denver, Philadelphia, and San Francisco) .. and the price is right. You will also receive a FREE Snap Lock Holder exclusively designed to display your Steel Cents! 3 Steel Cents (3 different mint marks) - $29.99 SHIPPING IS ALWAYS FREE!!!
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Most
new collectors (if they have ever seen one) are fascinated by the appearance
of this "out of place" penny. The 1943
Cent is made of 100% Steel, and is coated with a thin layer of zinc.
The steel composition gives this coin it's silver looking surface. It
is the ONLY US Penny that will "stick" to a magnet ...
all others will not because they are made of copper and nickel. Try It!
During
World War II, there were Massive shortages of Copper. Copper was the main
ingredient for Shell Casings, Bullets, Bombs and Guns for the war!
The US Government was forced to forgo the copper they typically used for
coins until they could find more elsewhere! The
copper saved by making pennies out of Steel (rather
than copper) was enough to meet the combined needs of "two
cruisers, two destroyers, 1242 flying fortresses, 120 field guns and 120
howitzers" or enough for 1 and 1/4 million shells for Big Field Guns!
WOW! What Demand!