I was just going through a recent lot of coins I bought off ebay and there is a blue 1943 steel cent, it's not

Question

I was just going through a recent lot of coins I bought off ebay and there is a blue 1943 steel cent, it's not toned blue, it's blue. Anyone ever seen this, or know about this, is it fake? Or is this a rare find or something? Thanks.

Answer 1

It is not rare, but in fact is a damaged zinc coated cent. The blue color is from some chemical coming in contact with the zinc. The coin is not solid blue, for the coin has a steel core. It is not a mint item and it happened outside the mint. A lot of 1943 cents have been replated to look like new, even though if you look close there is wear and the lines in the wheat heads are gone or almost gone. The blue color could have come from that process also. I have seen 1943 cents that are blue, from both things happening. I wish I could remember what chemical it was.