1941 Steel/Zinc Penny 0

[dreamcast-migration]

Well I’ve searched google looking for the approximate price of a 1941 steel penny. I haven’t been able to find anything. Plenty of stuff on 1943 steel pennies. I asked someone and they told me that 1941 steel pennies don’t exist. I know that’s not true because I’m looking at one sitting on my desk right now. Does anyone have any idea how much a 1941 steel would go for?

[Dwaine]

I thought that 1943 was the only year for steel pennies. You could have one with a clad layer missing. Have you tried to see if you can pick it up with a magnet?

[jtryka]

Before 1943 there were no steel pennies, only bronze. Perhaps you have one that someone plated? Try picking it up with a magnet, if that works, then look for evidence of an altered date, if it doesn't work, then I think you have a plated cent.

[TomB]

You have one of three scenarios here. The first is that you have a regular 1941 cent that has been plated with some material. The second is that you have a 1943 cent that has been damaged at the date, either intentionally or not, to appear to read 1941. The third is that you have a 1941 cent struck on a planchet that was meant for another country's coinage. Personally, I would bet heavily that it is one of the first two scenarios and not the third.

[dreamcast-migration]

i tired to pick it up wiht a magnet, it didnt work... what's that mean?

[TomB]

It means that it is likely a regular 1941 cent that is plated with another material and is worth two cents.

[Dcoin]

pictures?

[dreamcast-migration]

i just tried to take one with my web came. it could not get a picture to come out clear enough. same problem with my cell phone camera. i will try to find a better camera so i can post a pic.

[bsshog40]

More than likely this is a plated cent. Do you have a small scale to weigh it?

[WoodenJefferson]

1944 examples do exsist and in the description of this coin, it noted foreign planchets at US Mints during this era. As TomB notated about the possibility of a foreign palnchet, the one you have is probably one of the first two scenerios. I just wanted to add this at an approriate time that nothing is impossible.

 

This MS-60 (there are probably less than five mint state pieces known to exist) 1944 steel cent is noted on the holder as "Struck on Steel Planchet" rather than "Struck on 1943 Steel Planchet" because there is a possibility that the blank came from a 1944 Belgian 2-Francs coin. The US Mint was under contract to produce 2-Francs pieces for Belgium in that year, and the composition and weight of the planchets is indistinguishable from the 1943 "steelies."

[dreamcast-migration]

what is a plated cent? considering that i tried to pick the 1941 up with a magnet i'm starting to think that's might be what this is that i have.

[dreamcast-migration]

another thought i had..... during the time there was a shortage of copper they expermented with making pennies out of a number of different materials. could this be one of the other materials they expermented making it out of since the magnet did not pick it up?

 

Edit: also... there is no letter below the date that says what mint it was made at.

 

just so you all know... i'm not a coin collecting person. i found this place on a google search and registered so i could ask my question.

Edited June 19, 2007 by dreamcast

[construct]

A plated coin is a normal coin with a thin plating of foreign metal applied to its surface.

[Igot2go]

I got a roll of 1941 steel pennies from the back yesterday  actually my work got them and I payed them .48 because someone got two of them before I could get my hands on them. Two look tarnished I’m thinking from being the ends in the roll the rest look like new. 

[Igot2go]

[bsshog40]

7 minutes ago, Igot2go said:

I got a roll of 1941 steel pennies from the back yesterday  actually my work got them and I payed them .48 because someone got two of them before I could get my hands on them. Two look tarnished I’m thinking from being the ends in the roll the rest look like new. 

1943

[Conder101]

And many of these appear to have been "reprocessed", replated after they left the mint.