Silver 1943 Penny?

Question

does anyone know how much a silver 1943 penny is worth?

Answer 1

Two little distinctions to start off with. First the US Mint does not make pennies they make cents (show me a cent that says penny on it). Second your coin is not made out of silver but steel. Steel cents were made during World War 2 (not the depression) due to copper shortages.

The red book has them listed anywhere from 30 cents to a $30 if your coin has a doubled mintmark.

Without seeing pictures it's very difficult for anyone to give you a good answer. Many factors play in to how much your coin is worth (i.e. condition, scarcity, mint marks, current market demand, etc.)

1 - Take your coin to a local coin dealer (trustworthy ones can be found - shop around, get second opinions). It never hurts to get a second opinion. They will be able to tell you so much more by evaluation the condition of the coin. They will also know the amount minted and what it is going for in today's market.

2 - Try posting pictures on this website (there are many experts here that can help you evaluate it - there also may be people willing to buy if you are trying to sell):
http://www.coincommunity.com/forum/default.asp

3 - Repost this question and include pictures. You can use websites like http://www.photobucket.com and include the link in your question.

Good luck!

P.S. Do not clean your coin as this can drastically reduce the value.

Answer 2

Silver 1943 Penny

Answer 3

People here are close, but your cent is actually made of zinc coated steel. By 1943 it became clear that copper would be need for cartridges as well as shell casings. The Japanese had awakened a sleeping giant and the people of this country made war goods in quantities never even thought of by the Axis powers. Near the end of 1943 the powers to be knew that the zinc coated steel cent was not one of their better ideas so in 1944 we went back to the normal cent. The 1943 cent rusted and turned black too fast. Top quality ones are scarcer than people think, for most nice looking ones have been re plated and even though they look nice, the coin is worn and it shows under the nice new coating. Nice high mint state coins are priced too low. you have a piece of history here and too bad your coin could not talk for I bet it has a story to tell. Maybe some gal building a B-29 bomber had it in her pocket. Remember the women of this country built most of the weapons that save democracy. Hold on to that piece of history.

Answer 4

first off a 1943 penny isn't silver - its steel. i recently bought 4 for either a quarter each or fifty cents each...i can't remember how good each one of them were rated but you could see all the details on both sides. hope this helps.

Answer 5

I have an 1987 d steel penny How could that be if they stop making them in 1945?

Answer 6

don't know what they are worth....but always worth a penny...these were made of steel and were made during the depression when copper was was hard to come by.