The 1943 Steel Lincoln Cent

Due to the scarcity of copper during World War II, 1943 Lincoln cents were made of steel with a zinc coating instead of a copper alloy.  The steel cents were struck in Philadelphia (684,628,670 mintage), Denver (217,660,000) and San Francisco (191,550,000).

Some copper 1943 cents were produced from blanks left in a hopper attached to one of the cent presses.

The zinc-coated steel cents - low carbon steel coated with a 0.0005-inch zinc coating - are seldom seen in pristine condition. Because the two metals are well apart in the electropositive series, they form a "couple" in moist atmospheres, quickly corroding. Millions of the coins  had their coatings stripped and subjected to reprocessing with a glistening new coating.

When new, the 1943 cents looked like and were often mistaken for dimes. When corroded, they looked like slugs, even to be nicknamed "lead pennies."

Collectors should be aware of altered or counterfeit 1943 copper cents. The easiest way to check for a privately plated copper-plated steel cent is to use a magnet. Steel cents are attracted to magnets while copper cents are not.

A number of 1944 cents were struck in error at the three Mints on zinc-coated steel planchets.