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What
is my coin worth?
Well, that's a tough question. A coin's value is based on several
items: the coin (denomination, such as cent, 5-cent, dime, and so on), the
year it was minted, the Mint facility
where the coin was made and the coin's grade, condition or state of
preservation. There are many other factors to take into consideration as
well, but they are too numerous to mention.
Your best bet to determine a coin's value is to read
Coin World Trends or to
buy a copy of Coin World's Guide to U.S.
Coins, Prices and Value Trends. Such price
guides track the values of coins in various grades and conditions and take
into account all other important factors.
You must know a coin's grade to look up its value in a price
guide. A grade is based on a
scale of 1 to 70, with 60 and higher being reserved for coins in Mint
State or Uncirculated
condition. Proof coins are made
differently from other coins and are graded differently as well. Any coin
with wear on it that has been pulled from, say, pocket change or a piggy
bank, would not grade Uncirculated. To determine a coin's grade, you can
either buy a book and learn about grading, visit a professional coin
dealer in your area (check the Yellow Pages) or submit the coin to a coin
grading service.
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My
coin is missing a Mint mark, words, letters or numbers. Where did they go?
Your coin most likely features a filled-die error.
A filled die occurs when grease, dirt and metal particles compact into
a die. The dies that strike coins are recessed so that when they strike a
planchet (a metal blank), the metal of the planchet rises to fill in the
die. That's why letters, numbers, words and designs are raised on coins.
If the recesses of the die fill up with sludge, (which is a very common
occurrence in a factory like the Mint), this sludge will prevent letters
or numbers from forming during the strike.
A filled die is a very common form of minor
error and does not add
numismatic value to the coin. Filled die errors are known on every series
and denomination of coin ever struck by the U.S. Mint – from the very
first large cent to the
State Quarters
being struck today.
You should also know that many U.S. coins do not bear
Mint marks on
purpose. All coins struck at the Philadelphia Mint from 1793 to 1978
lack Mint marks, except for some 1942 to 1945 5-cent coins.
Beginning in 1979, Anthony dollars struck at the Philadelphia Mint carried
a P Mint mark. In 1980, the P Mint mark was added to the 5-cent
coin, dime, quarter dollar, and half dollar struck in Philadelphia.
However, none of the Lincoln cents struck at Philadelphia bear a Mint
mark. Also, no U.S. coin dated 1965 to 1967 bears a Mint mark.
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How
much is my 1943 cent worth?
First of all, look at the color of the coin. Is it red/brown, like
copper, or does its color range from gray to black?
If the color ranges from gray to black, you have the common 1943
zinc-coated steel cent, which is worth less than $1 in circulated
condition. During the height of World War II when these cents were struck,
the country's copper supply was needed for wartime applications,
specifically in the manufacture of weaponry. The prewar metal alloy
for cents - 95 percent copper and 5 percent zinc and tin – was changed
mid-year in 1942 when tin was eliminated, and dropped altogether at the
end of the year. In 1943, only zinc-coated steel cents were to be in
production.
 Prewar copper planchets somehow got mixed in with the new steel ones
and there you have it: instant rarities. To date fewer than 20 genuine
1943 copper cents from the various Mints have been found.
To determine whether you might have the rare coin, do the
following: First, see whether a magnet will pick up the coin. If it does,
the coin
is a steel cent plated with copper, since copper will not stick to a
magnet.
If the color is red/brown like a regular cent, still determine whether a magnet will
stick to it. If so, you have a common, low-value zinc-coated steel cent that someone plated
with copper. Many people did this many years ago as soon as it was
discovered the Mint made a mistake.
Thousands of copper-plated alterations exist. Many of the altered 1943
cents are in circulation, only to be discovered by folks who hope they
have the real thing.
If a magnet will not pick up the coin, try the second test.
 The 3 in the date on a genuine 1943 Lincoln cent (of any alloy) should
have a long tail that falls below the digits 194. Many 1948 Lincoln cents
have been altered by individuals cutting away the left half of the 8,
leaving the right half to resemble a 3. Altered 1948 Lincoln cents will
not have a descending tail. Compare the 3 on a common 1943 Lincoln, Steel cent to
the 3 on a suspected copper specimen. The shape of the 3 must match
exactly on both coins.
If a suspected 1943 Lincoln copper cent passes the first two tests,
have it weighed. A copper-alloy cent should weigh 3.11 grams; a steel
cent, 2.689 grams. If the weight does not fall within a small tolerance
range of 3.11 grams, it might be a struck counterfeit.
If the coin passes all three tests – not attracted to a magnet,
long-tailed 3, proper weight – have it checked by a coin
authentication service.
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