1943 steel pulled from a roll - original clad or reprocessed?

Just like when I hear Mezack touting an ASE as being rarer because it had a million less strikes than one from another year.

Still, there is some truth to a Wheat Cent being rare...in 2021. My cousin in York PA had many large coffee cans full of wheat cents back in the 1960s, though. I wonder what he ever did with them.

 

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real

 

Hah, now that you say that I'm going to soak this second cent in acetone. Who knows, maybe it'll strip that paint off and I'll have a nice shiny new cent with original coating!

Reminds me of a story someone told me about a guy who ordered a brand new VW Beetle from overseas back in the 60's. It came with a clear wax coating (protecting from sea salt spray I presume) which he never washed off for years. Car looked like crap for years as he drove it around until he took it in to get steam cleaned and voila, the car looked brand new again!

 

I think might be worth a shot. you ain't got much to lose with that one!

 

Yeah, it's just filling up a hole in my Whitman album. Might as well see if I can get it to look a little better.

I suppose if worse comes to worse I could always stop by Ace hardware and buy a can of aluminum spray paint...

 

Original

 

Doesn't look like it has been reprocessed, to me. Might have been cleaned at some point, though.

 

nice find

 

Wait.. Original Clad?

Steel cents aren't Clad

Composition 99% steel with a thin layer of zinc

 

ok

 

When I collected US in the 1950's there were a lot of steels in circulation and most were dark gray or black. At that time, many were being 'freshened' with a new coating of zinc so it is certainly fair to question the originality of the bright ones seen today. Clad may be the wrong term but does the hobby now accept replated as collectible?

 

When I was collecting in Jr high school, processed coins were selling at 35c or a full set for $1. I doubt they are worth much now either.

 

No joy on the Acetone. Soaked it for a couple of days, pulled it out and nothing came off on the cotton swab but some rust. Guess whatever remains is stuck on there good. Oh well, holding on to it as an interesting coin.