How to Find a 1943 Copper Penny

During World War II, the materials used to make pennies--copper and nickel--were in short supply because of the war effort. In order to deal with the shortage, pennies minted in 1943 were made of steal and coated with zinc. However, some 1943 copper pennies were accidentally minted and circulated. These are quite rare and valuable.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Magnifying glass
• Magnet

1. Obtain a large number of pennies.

2. Go to the bank if you do not have a large amount of pennies. Trade in some cash for rolls of pennies. You may want to keep going back to the bank and getting more pennies to maximize your chances of finding a 1943 copper penny.

3. Look at the backs of the all the pennies. Pennies made between 1909 and 1959, including 1943 pennies, use the wheat back design, with the words "One Cent" in between two sprigs of wheat. Set these pennies aside for further examination.

4. Sort out any steel pennies. These will be easy to sort out because they have a silvery color. Grab a magnifying glass and check the dates of the remaining copper wheat back pennies.

5. Put a magnet to any penny which looks like a 1943 copper penny. A copper penny does not stick to a magnet. If the penny does stick to a magnet, it's likely a regular steel penny which has been coated in copper.

6. Examine any non-magnetic 1943 pennies more closely. Look for scratch marks around the date for signs the date has been altered.

7. Contact a coin expert if you find a 1943 copper penny. The expert can verify your find or put you in contact with someone else who can. If authentic, your penny could be worth $100,000 or more.

Tips & Warnings

• Wheat back pennies still have some value. Keep them separate from the rest of your pennies.

Resources

• Use the Austin Coins search feature for 1943 penny pictures.