These 3 seem different from each other, albeit wear and PMD may be to blame. The lowest part of the 3 on the left coin seems to point down more than on the other 2, they seem to hold a curl more. Is this normal?
I tried with the hi rez scanner. Look at how the tail of the 3 points to different places on the 3 examples. Are there any known variations, or is this some kind of mint error, or what?
OK, over at this place I found the first other 43 with the 3 tailing SW rather than W. It is a proof coin. So I have a proof coin with no mint mark??? http://www.ioffer.com/i/lincoln-wheat-penny-1943-s-unc-57609786
now I found this, right here http://www.cointalk.com/attachments/194874d1344801053-1943-pds-lincoln-cents.jpg on CT - the S coin has the SW tail. and only the S coin. So, were all the mints making coins with no mint marks?
OK, so then either it is a variety of Philly or a missing S, right? But does anyone have another one like it?
more S mm with 3 tailing SW http://img1.etsystatic.com/008/0/6534600/il_fullxfull.381378017_68an.jpg http://www.cointalk.com/attachments/256679d1366508825-image.jpg
I agree with Jloring above that it is within normal range of movement for the wear That extended tail of the "3" is a very thin portion of metal, and adherence of the zinc cladding to the steel core wasn't always good, allowing wear and counting machines to 'push' the tail around a little. I do remember reading that there were 2 different manufacturers of planchets during the year and a slightly different weight, but their tolerances overlapped so no one could identify coins today as being a 'type I' or a type 'II'.
I agree and will add that there must have been a large number of dies used to make 684 million coins. I'm thinking the dies for this year had a short life and there were minor differences from die to die. Question? I forgot. In 1943, was the date added to the hub or the working die?
Correct. But does anybody have an example like this? This happens to be typical of some S cents (ONLY so far as I have seen so far). You all have buckets of steelies, go have a gander an let us know.
Dates and other raised devices of a coin design cannot be added to a hub. Such a detail can only be accomplished by punching/engraving a die and it would be added to a master not the actual working die.
Except that it happens to match the S die 3's and other coins, like the 1993. The weights of these three are 2.666 for the weird 3, 2.750 for the silverish one, and 2.711 for the dark reg 3 one. I think the zinc plating is gone and that is the base metal in 'rust blued' form. I doubt that was pushed around. Anybody have one like this?
In 1943 the master dies were all produced in Philadelphia, and those master dies went on to produce all the working dies. The mint marks were added to the working dies later. There would be no difference in the coins being produced by the different mints. The differences can be accounted for by circulation damage and die deterioration.One of the coins you posted has also been reprocessed, and that can alter the look of the devices.