Bill Jones' Basic Type set
1C LINCOLN, STEEL (1943)

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Coin Details

Origin/Country: United States
Design Description: CENTS - LINCOLN, WHEAT REVERSE
Item Description: 1C 1943
Full Grade: PCGS MS 66
Owner: BillJones

Set Details

Custom Sets: This coin is not in any custom sets.
Competitive Sets: Bill Jones' Type Set   Score: 171
Bill Jones' 20th century Mint Stat and Proof Type Set   Score: 171
Bill Jones' Type Set Excluding Modern Issues   Score: 171
Bill Jones' Basic Type set   Score: 171
Biill Jones Basic Type set with out gold   Score: 171
Bill Jones small cents   Score: 171
Research: NGC Coin Explorer NGC Coin Price Guide
NGC US Coin Census for Lincoln Cents, Wheat Reverse (1909-1958)

Owner Comments:

During the Second World War copper became a strategic war material. In order to conserve copper, the cent was made of steel with a zinc coating in 1943. The public reaction to these coins was not positive. Some people complained that they confused the coin with the dime. The zinc coating on the coin quickly tarnished, which made the coin unattractive in circulation, and if the steel under coating was exposed the coin was subject to rust.

In 1944 and ’45 recovered metal from used shell casings was used for the cent. The color was a little different when the coins were new (red), but no one seemed to mind or notice. The standard bronze composition was resumed in 1946.

The present coin is a bright, attractive example of the 1943 wartime cent. It does not exhibit any of the oxidation that is noted on a very large proportion of the surviving examples of this unusual coin.

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