I have a proof set (box with no certificate) of 1943-p steel pennys the seem to be in pristine condition. Looking at some of the ballpark prices for the higher grades, it makes me wonder if I should send them in to be broken up and graded. The only reason I am considering having the box broken in because I dont have the cert. I received them in a trade for a nintendo ds lite.
Re-plated in zinc to get the look of the steelies. Lack of luster shows on them. This is a very common practice with these steel cents to sell as a novelty. They take a plagued steel cent, re-plate it and then sell it as a novelty at high prices to uneducated collectors. It really depletes any numismatic value to almost nothing.
i didnt spend anything on them, they were given to me. so no real loss there just kind of a bummer. but thank for the information i appreciate it.
yes, if you have an accurate scale you can weigh them but once you have seen normal ones and then plated ones the difference will be obvious. The details on the plated cents look kind of mushy as all of the fine details are lost in the plating process.
Trading a Nintendo DS lite for them, you definitely got a bad deal. Expensive lesson, but it is always best to research first. They are an interesting part of numismatic history though.
No verification needed for these particular sets... all are plated with bright zinc. As previously stated, they are sold as novelty items only, and have no numismatic value.
These are usually found in bargain bins (at least at a couple of coins shows I've been to) and sell for a buck or two... which is okay if you are buying a novelty and not collector coins.
No need to weight them, these sets are well known for having junk in them. Also, the 1943 steel cents are VERY inexpensive because they were widely hoarded. A complete, uncirculated, mint state set sells for about $20 or less. Sorry to say, you got ripped off on this deal......try to get your DS back.
No one was using the ds at all. It hadn't been turned on in about a year. I have 2 other Nintendo ds and various other consoles and laptops. It really isn't a big deal. I had been out doing some flea marketing and got some good info about a few other coins that day. Including getting some actual mint packed coins with certificate for cheap that I like ( Susan 's were a childhood fav) I figure for a while I will make mistakes but I will try to learn what I can about them and not do it again.
Okay, I pulled a past thread that'll show almost all the info you need on '43 Stincolns. http://www.cointalk.com/t198447/ Go ahead and give it a read, it'll teach you how to detect re-plates from original cents.
