I have a 1943 S copper penny. Yes it is copper, and no the magnet does not stick to it. I need to know what I should do. Does it need to be certified? And how do I go about doing that. I have read online that these pennies can fetch a whole lot. Please need some advice. I am scared to let this out of my sight.
Get it certified if you think it's the real deal. Don't rely on what someone else said. Get it graded to see if it's real.
Post pictures. This is a coin that has often been faked. Also weight it. It should be about 3.11 grams. But still, post pictures. You may get an answer here for free that could save you the cost of getting it sent in.
There are many illegally minted counterfeits of this coin that are made of the proper alloy. Dies can be created from a regular steel 43 by several methods and although China has produced many counterfeits, they were around long before China entered the counterfeit market. If you bought it from a person, on ebay, yardsale, swapmeet, gun show. or craigslist, the chance of it being fake is extremely high. A photo might help to recognize a counterfeit, but not to confirm if it is real.You can get a top grading company to authenticate and grade if you feel it is worth the money. Jim
Please post good photos of your coin, especially the obverse and the date. (It is not uncommon to find a 1948 where the last digit of the date has been altered to a '3'.)
Hard to see but my scanner was better then my camera. This penny has been in an envelope marked important, save and sealed in a bag for 20 years. I took it to a jeweler who confirmed the date as 1943.
Looks like a modified date. The last digit does not seem to extend far south enough to be a 3. A true 1943 cent has the 3 extend below the foot of the 4.
I would be almost positive that it is not a 43. On a real 1943, the tail of the 3 is way below the 4. Yours is not.
If it was in a envelope marked important, it is probably real. Who would put a ordinary 1940's wheat cent in an envelope and mark it important.
Well that was my thoughts to. I don't have any nifty gadgets to really inspect it. I think I will have it looked at and see what a coin dealer can tell me. So I guess I just wont hold my breath.