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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
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