I know that 1943 steel cents are not that uncommon, however I still find them hard to find at a reasonable price that are not reprocessed. So I got to wondering, why is that? I mean I see plenty that are slabbed and command a premium, but where are the XF-AU ones? What prompted this is I own a set of the reprocessed steel cents but I recently acquired a little display snaplock and I thought I'd add in some original 1943 steel cents. I'd like some that are reasonable looking but they don't need to be mint state. The real burning question in my mind is what's the story with the reprocessing? I'm sure if I dig hard enough I can find some info but thought maybe someone knows well enough to give me the cliff notes version of why, when, and who did it? Was a large majority of the population reprocessed?
Well.. It's much like with the current zinc cents. Zinc deteriorates quite readily. Unless a steel cent was kept in fairly stable conditions, it will be grey and unappealing. You can certainly still find very nice war cents in the $25.00-$35.00 range. I recently bought all three in MS66 holders for less than a hundred dollars.... I can't say who was behind the reprocessing craze but I would most imagine it was an industry driven by folks looking to make a quick buck after the war. Much like the guys that colorized state quarters twenty years ago. There sure are plenty of them out there.
Ya I was aware of the fact that they quickly became unattractive if circulated or stored poorly. I guess I wasn't sure if there was some mass effort to reprocess them or if it was just dealers/resellers having them re-plated in order to look nicer. I wouldn't mind finding some that look circulated as long as they aren't corroded and rusty. Might be easier to find a mint state one though, I dunno. I'll have to keep my eyes peeled. Just thought it would be nice to have a set with original surfaces and then I got down the rabbit hole of well how did this all go down anyway.
They’re hard to find in good condition in circulation I think because they rust as quickly as a steel fence post. If the Mint were thinking of us, it would have made them galvanized steel, but then we don’t never get no respect.
Having been born in 1943 and starting my collecting in 1948 I was always watching for 1943 dated coins. My collection circulation coins. Coins I found or traded for. I kept back any steel cent that looked good. Here are photos of the 1943 cents that are in my album. They have not been reprocessed, but they have been in circulation. I do have some that are reprocessed. I don't like them.
@ldhair wow I'd love to own that planchet! Amazing! Also, anyone want to go for a dive in the ocean and retrieve those lost pieces?
Here is one example as to how/why. Reverse of a real 1943 zinc cent. It is my birth year also , so I grabbed a tube from a show in San Diego in the early 1970, but only a few left in this quality . Jim
I was fortunate enough to aquire a very nice 1/2 roll of 43d's sold a few graded a few gave a few away.. but this is my pretty prize of the lot and another with some crazy clashed dies i've posted a few times in past (can't find pic at moment lol)
Ya same - They're ok but I'd rather have the real thing even if it's dull and gray. That's pretty cool! I love how they just nonchalantly mention, oh ya we dumped the scraps in the ocean.
I believe that some of the scrap strip was used for other things. Some have reported seeing it used to strap lumber together on buildings.
