How many 1943 pennies are in existence?

What penny sold for $2.5 million?

You never know when you might get lucky and land a 1792 Birch penny, valued at a whopping $2.5 million. A California-based coin collector reportedly spent the paltry sum on the celebrated coin, of which only 10 are known to exist.

What makes a 1943 copper penny so special?

Popularly called “copper pennies,” these cents are actually error coins — they were never intended to be struck! All cents that year were supposed to be made from zinccoated steel planchets. The error was created when leftover planchets from 1942 production were mixed in with the intended planchets for 1943.

What do I do if I have a 1943 copper penny?

If you believe you own a 1943 Copper Penny, be sure to test its authenticity and have it professionally graded. As history has proven, even a single penny can be worth a fortune—and the 1943 Bronze Penny is the perfect example of that.

What is the error on the 1943 penny?

A lot of people talk about 1943 pennies and that they may have a silver one, and while they may have the right color penny, most of those are zinc plated steel. The famed error for the 1943 penny is the copper one, as the USA switched metals from copper to steel in order to conserve metal for their war effort.

How much can you sell a 1943 penny for?

1943 steel pennies are worth about 10 to 13 cents each in circulated condition and as much as 50 cents or more if uncirculated. The following table lists the buy price (what you can expect to pay to a dealer to purchase the coin) and sell value (what you can expect a dealer to pay you if you sell the coin).

What year has the rarest pennies?

7 Most Rare Pennies — and What Makes Them Unique

• 1856 Flying Eagle Cent. ...
• 1864 Indian Head Penny – "L" on Ribbon. ...
• 1909-P and 1909-S VDB Lincoln Pennies. ...
• 1943 Lincoln Cent Struck on Bronze Alloy. ...
• 1944-S Lincoln Steel Penny. ...
• 1969-S Lincoln Penny – Doubled Die Obverse. ...
• 1958 Doubled Die Obverse Cent.

What's so special about a 1943 wheat penny?

Due to a shortage of copper as a result of World War II, the US Mint was forced to craft these coins primarily out of steel. As such, they resemble a US Dime or Quarter more than the traditional penny. All of this works to make the coin incredibly unique in comparison to most every other version of the Lincoln penny.

How many 1943 pennies are still around?

The 1943 Copper S penny is one of the most rare coins in circulation in the United States. There are 12 that are known, with an additional 28 that may exist, but no one knows for sure, the number of 40 is an estimation based on the theory of how they were accidently produced.

How rare is it to find a 1943 penny?

A small handful of pennies produced in 1943 were mistakenly made with the normal bronze alloy containing 95% copper and 5% tin. The 1943 copper penny is extremely rare and valuable, with only about two dozen pieces known to exist today.

What if a 1943 steel penny has no mint mark?

Unfortunately, when coins have no mint mark it does not make them more valuable. Coins with no mint mark are by default minted in Philadelphia. 684,628,670 steel Pennies were minted at Philadelphia with no mintmark, so each one is worth between $1-2.

What if a 1943 penny sticks to a magnet?

A steel penny is the only one that will stick to the magnet. Here's the magic part (drumroll please). If a penny sticks to the magnet, check the date. A 1943 circulated penny that sticks is worth 10 cents or so.

How much does a 1943 copper penny cost?

1943 Copper Penny Value. The 1943 Copper Penny is one of the rarest and most valuable U.S. coins, with values ranging from $100,000 to over $1 million, depending on condition. Struck by mistake on copper planchets instead of steel, fewer than 20 examples are known to exist.

What penny sold for $1.7 million?

The Don Lutes Jr. coin- a bronze Lincoln cent- was sold for such a huge amount because currently, only a handful of these exist. So far, 15 to 20 bronze Lincoln cents have been discovered. The most expensive sold for $1.7 million.

Should I cash in my pennies now?

So, what should you do with those pennies now? You can continue to spend them. Retailers will continue to accept pennies if you want to pay with exact change. However, you certainly shouldn't save them in the hopes that their value will increase, as that's unlikely to happen in the near future.

What should I look for in a 1943 steel penny?

Magnet Test: An authentic copper 1943 cent will not be magnetic, while a steel (even if copper-plated) cent will stick to a magnet. Weight Check: Copper cents from this period should weigh approximately 3.11 grams, whereas steel cents weigh closer to 2.7 grams.

What is the mintage number of 1943 steel pennies?

"S" Mintmark Under Date: San Francisco Mint Struck the Coin

San Francisco struck 191,550,000 zinc coated steel pennies in 1943, 3th highest amount in a single year wheat cent. Representing the only year of this composition, interest remains high. Young collectors seek coins with the least amount of wear.

Why is the 1943 penny worth $1,000,000?

This rare 1943 Lincoln cent is only 1 of 15 known in the world. Photograph courtesy of The Money Museum. This rare cent is one of approximately 15 examples found in circulation. Known as error coins, these rare pennies were made using copper instead of zinc, and were never intended to be struck.