1944 Steel Wheat Penny

Hi, This is my mom's penny, looking to find out the value for her. It's stamped with the Freemason symbol.

 

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Been plated = damaged. That counter stamp looks like a masonic symbol. The regular unplated cents go for $5-9 on Ebay.

 

It is a Freemasons' symbol and I do sometimes see them on eBay going for a few dollars. I find it fun to find counterstamped coins, especially in circulation! There are a few 1944 steel cents that feature an off-metal error, but these are very rare and your cent appears to be plated. If you wanted to be convinced, you could 1- use a magnet to test if it is magnetic (steel cents will be attracted to a magnet, plated cents won't) and 2- weigh it, since most steel cents are closer to 2.7ish grams and normal copper cents are closer to 3.11 grams. Your cent looks plated, but now you know can know how to tell if a silver-colored cent from 1944 is steel or copper.

 

Only 1943 cents were steel and have a silver appearance as issued by the US mint. Your coin is plated by a private entity. Probably the same person who counter stamped the piece, likely trying to bring attention to the stamp..... From a coin collectors perspective, it would be damaged. However there are folks that collect counter stamps and others that collect Freemasonry related items. Your coin would likely have more value to those type collectors.

 

It's plated so it's damaged. It's also Counterstamped so that's damaged as well.

 

There are around 40 known steel 1944 cents.
Just valuable mint errors from leftover planchets from the previous year.

 

I checked with a magnet, definitely plated. She has a similar coin in storage somewhere, she thinks its 1943. I'll post that one if we find it. Thanks for the help guys.

 

Keep in mind that a 1943 cent should appear a silver/steel color.

 

I've actually got one of those lying around somewhere. No idea where it might be. I'll have to post it when I find it. I think it was on a 1950's Lincoln cent.

Nice find.

 

Absolutely. Glad to help!

 

I think I just found a 1944d steel penny, in very good shape! My dad had it marked as a zink penny-I went to my neighbors to get a magnet-holy cow!

 

Photos please, clear and in focus posted as full image

 

I tried my printerbut not sure how to post it here, may try my camera..

 

Image (3) 43 and 44d

 

Use your camera or cell phone camera and save the images to a folder on your PC.
Write your post and click on the button Upload a file, this takes you to your PC File Explorer, choose your images and click open. When your images have uploaded to your post click Full Size for each image

 

zinc plated as well?

 

The wheat side on the right belongs to the coin on the left above. That coin is the 1943 and vice versa. I have not checked that coin with a magnet yet. Check later today! The 44 was atracted to the magnet..