Face value, unless very high grade. If they came from circulation they are probably worth one cent and five cents. You can always post pictures if you think they warrant it.
12 year old thread. Photo the edge. Weigh it on a scale that shows tenths of a gram, and hundredths of a gram.
CONECA specializes in all sorts of error coins. They also grade and slab coins. What is being described here is an off metal strike. Whenever the composition changes a few off metal pieces usually end up in the mix. The 1943 copper cent is the best known example and the most valuable but there were also 1943 aluminum; 1944 steel and many others. I would trust CONECA more than the others for determining what you have. Once you know what it is then you can have the others grade it if you please but even they will not disagree with a CONECA attribution.
No such thing.. they probably meant 1974 Aluminum Cent - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1974_aluminum_cent
Yes I am aware of the 1974. But he was talking about off metal strikes. They made the 1974 aluminum intentionally. It wasn't because of a transition.
Don't know if there is a link. More likely to find it listed in a price guide. During World War Two our mint made coins for many of our allies. This aluminum blank was made for that order. When I last found a price for them they were $800 for UNC. The 1974 Aluminum would more properly be a pattern coin to my thinking as would the 1964 Peace Dollar. I lost all but twenty of my price guides and books in a 2004 flood. I have only replaced some of them. If you have it they are easy to identify since they do not attract to a magnet.
In 1942 the mint did intentionally mint aluminum cents as patterns. Is this what you are referring to? They tested many materials for 1943 but found zinc-coated steel the best to use. They made two aluminum pattern types, J-2057 and J-2079. Here is J-2079: -SC
Is it a pattern when the obverse and reverse designs are the same as the ones in use, and just the metal is different? Would it be "experimental metal or alloy"?
Patterns are just proposed coin designs or alloys not yet approved for circulation. Experimental alloys/metals are really kind of gray area, they are just tests, not proposed changes. They are highly valuable. Remember the glass cent that sold for $75,000? That was a pattern. -SC
I know some European countries had some aluminum coins in that era. I know we have French and Polish ones, maybe others.