1943 was a busy year at the U.S. Mint as it worked to adapt to metal shortages due to World War II raging across Europe. One of the ways it responded was by changing the composition of the Lincoln cent from bronze to steel coated with zinc. Circulated examples can be purchased for a quarter or so, but the issue’s high-grade survivors and exciting varieties also tempt the specialist.

The 1943-D/D Lincoln, Wheat cent featuring the dramatically repunched Mint mark offers one of the widest separations known on any issue, with the secondary D seen to the southwest of the primary Mint mark. Heritage Auctions offered one graded Mint State 67 by Professional Coin Grading Service with a green Certified Acceptance Corp. sticker on Nov. 6, 2023, for $12,000. The cataloger observed, “Brilliant, pristine luster illuminates satiny surfaces and sharp design elements.”

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