A penny is easy to ignore. It gets dropped into a cup holder, tossed in a drawer, or left at the bottom of an old jar without much thought. But in the world of coin collecting, a tiny detail can turn an everyday cent into something far more interesting.
One of the best-known examples is the 1943 bronze Lincoln cent, a rare mistake coin that has captured collectors’ attention for decades. At first glance, it may look like a normal old penny. The story behind it, however, is tied directly to World War II and a change in how U.S. pennies were made.
Why Most 1943 Pennies Look Different
During World War II, copper was needed for military equipment and ammunition. To save copper for the war effort, the U.S. Mint changed the one-cent coin in 1943.
Instead of the traditional bronze alloy, most 1943 pennies were made primarily from steel and coated with zinc. That is why genuine 1943 steel cents usually have a silver-gray color rather than the familiar copper tone people associate with pennies.