Can this really be a 1943 silver cent?

OK Guys and Gals,

What do I have here? I put this away, W-A-Y back in time (as in I was a kid) because I thought it was special. Well I looked at it a little while ago, did some research and what I think I have is a 1943 cent made on a dime planchet. I took the coin to a jeweler and it weighs 2.40 grams. Information on 1943 dimes has a weight of 2.50 grams, so I guess it’s in the ballpark. It does NOT stick to a magnet. It can’t be copper coated with mercury because of the weight.

Any and all comments and guidance are welcome.

Thanks,

EGS

 

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That coin doesn't look silver to my eye.
If it were made on a dime planchet, wouldn't it be silver?

 

what Leadfoot said.
:thumb:

 

OK,

The color of the coin in hand is silvery as a dime. I have to apologize for the colorization I used an incandescent light.

The coin is NOT attracted to a magnet – so that rules out a zinc plated steel cent.

The coin’s weight of 2.40 grams is less that the 3.11 grams that a copper coin would be.

The weight of a 1943 Mercury dime is given as 2.50 grams and I guess considering the condition and wear of this coin, that it could have lost .10 grams by the time I found it.

So here are our choices: A) 1943 cent on a US dime planchet. B) A lightweight 1943 copper cent with mercury coating?

What say yea?

EGS

 

1943 cents were all steel. They needed the copper for the war. That might give it a different weight. I'm not sure. And I dont know if steel is attacted to a magnet or not either.

 

I have lots of those.... it is steel

 

I don't really know what you have, but with the wear that is exhibited on your coin it would correspond to a 1943 Steel Penny.

Rhubarb

 

Steel is magnetic. Here is an article that talks a little bit about how vending machines that had magnets in them to catch steel slugs would actually catch the steel cents. It also says that the steel cent is the only United States coin that can be picked up with a magnet.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1943_steel_cent

 

OK,

Here is an image of the coin in question along with a 1943 steel cent, 1942 Mercury dime and 1942-D Lincoln cent.

I took this with natural light so the colors are what I would say are as true as mother nature intended it to be.

Let me reiterate: This coin IS NOT attracted to a magnet – so it CANNOT be a steel cent.

So what does everyone think now?

Thanks,
EGS

 

I would suggest having it graded by one of the TPG's. If it is silver, well it is the first one I have seen.

Regards,
S

 

egs:
Go for it!

 

i think you have a winner however. i would still send it in for verification. also i think Mike Diamond could further clarify things, if you could bring it to his attention. he is the professional at errors.

 

It looks very good to me. Mike Diamond is an expert and I would hope he sees this thread. Don't test it for silver or clean it. The details are a little bit too good, but I lean towards genuine.

 

Looks legit to me!! Nice find.

Cheers

 

It could be a cent struck on a foreign planchet. In 1943 the mints produced coinage for about 10 other countries.

Austrelia
Belgian Congo
Cuba
Fiji
Guatemala
Netherlands & colonies
Nicaragua
Peru
El Salvador
Surinam


Lou

 

Looks like nickel to me. Perhaps a Philippines 5 centavo? (I wouldn't bet on it, they didn't produce any that year).

Best candidate for certification I've seen in a while.

 

Meant to post this last night, but it looks legit to me. Zinc cents become extremely dark and rusty with use, so this is certainly not a zinc-coated steel cent (in addition to the fact that it's not magnetic). It has that silver look, IMO, but it could be a foreign planchet as some others have suggested.

 

Looks like silver to me. Hopefully Mike will stop in and give you his opinion.

 

Sorry to be jumping in late, but that coin looks like it was struck on a dime planchet to me. The wear looks consostent with silver, and the color does as well. I would send it in to a TPG for sure. Well worth the small investment to not only know for sure, but to have a TPGs certification so that when it's time to sell it, that there is no doubt and you get what you deserve for it.

 

I've just got to agree with sending it to a TPG. For a few dollars you may have a coin worth thousands and thousands. And if comes back as a fake, well then you have a great conversation peice.
As to the magnetic properties of metals. Not all steels are magnetic. In reality, any metal and some non metals can be made magnetic. One of the strongest magnets is called AlNiCo. It is extreamely powerful as a magnet and is made from Aluminum, Nickel and Cobalt. That is why it is called AlNiCo.
And as for steel. Note there are a massive varieties of Stainless Steels. Many are made with Iron and are completely NON MAGNETIC. Very high grades of stainless steels are not magnetic. True Surgical Stainless Steels are non magnetic for the safety of operating room items that may attract a magnetic substance. High grades of Stainless Steels are utilized in many construction projects for similar reasons such as the electrical systems embedded.
Meanwhile back to that coin. All 1943 Steel Cents are of a low grade, magnetic steel and that is why they had to be coated with a non corrosive, lesser rustabilty substance like Zinc.
If in fact that coin is real, WOW.