To make your coin search easier, look for the exact date of this valuable coin. PCGS (Professional Coin Grading Services) uses the name 1943-S 1C Bronze, BN (Regular Strike). It belongs to the series Lincoln Cents 1909-1958.
However, you will need to pay close attention to the Lincoln cents from 1943. According to PCGS, the auction record for this rare Lincoln Penny was $504,000 in 2020. Needless to say, most collectors would love to have it.
Why is this rare 1943 Lincoln Penny coin so valuable?
Basically, bronze was necessary for World War II. So instead of using this material, the US Mint used zinc-coated steel planchets. Bear in mind that copper became an essential resource for communication equipment and munitions.
By mistake, the US Mint used some remaining bronze planchets. They were there to be used for the 1942 coin production. Workers did not realize that they were mixed with the steel planchets and finally, these examples were struck as 1943-dated Lincoln Pennies.
Although the U.S. Mint may not be happy about making these mistakes, coin collectors love these sorts of errors in the minting process. Doubling is also another feature collectors pay close attention to.
Where were these coins minted?
It was not a single Mint. Actually, this happened in three Mints. Among them are the ones in Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Denver. Therefore, there are some 1943 bronze cents in the United States for the aforementioned reason.
For example, only 6 coins have been verified that come from the US Mint in San Francisco. It may have been a widespread rumor at that time, so many of them may have been sold back then and kept secret.
The U.S. Sun claims that it did not appear in the auction market until 1974. So, if you happen to find one in your possession, contact experts from PCGS. Shows and events are available with on-site grading. The next one PGS announces is in Long Beach, CA, which starts on Thursday, September 5, 2024.
