1943 Steel Penny Value
In 1943 the Mint struck cents in zinc-coated steel to save copper for the war. A magnet attracts them.
Melt value
No melt value: base metal
This coin is zinc-coated steel. Doubloon doesn't give copper, nickel, zinc or steel a melt value; for this coin, the date, mint mark and condition decide the collector value.
Check yours in Doubloon
Photograph the front and back. Doubloon identifies the year and mint mark and shows the melt value. Doubloon Pro adds collector ranges with their sources and the key dates to check.
Download on the App StoreiPhone, iOS 18 or later. The free plan includes 3 scans.
Specifications
| Series | Lincoln Wheat Cent |
|---|---|
| Years | 1909 to 1958 |
| Mints | No mint mark (Philadelphia) D (Denver) S (San Francisco) |
| Mint mark location | Obverse, below the date. On the 1909-S VDB the S is below the date and the initials VDB sit on the reverse at the bottom rim. |
| Years | Metal content | Composition | Weight | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1909 to 1942 | None (base metal) | Bronze: 95% copper, 5% tin and zinc | 3.11 g | 19 mm |
| 1943 | None (base metal) | Zinc-coated steel | 2.7 g | 19 mm |
| 1944 to 1946 | None (base metal) | Shell-case brass: 95% copper, 5% zinc | 3.11 g | 19 mm |
| 1947 to 1958 | None (base metal) | Bronze: 95% copper, 5% tin and zinc | 3.11 g | 19 mm |
Metal content = weight × precious-metal fraction ÷ 31.1034768 grams per troy ounce. Worn coins weigh slightly less than new ones.
Key dates and varieties to check
These are the known key dates, varieties and metal changes for the Lincoln Wheat Cent. Each entry says what to look at on the coin.
- Metal change1943 steel centA gray coin that sticks to a magnet and weighs about 2.70 g is the normal 1943 steel cent. A magnet test and a scale separate the metals.
- Key date1909-S VDBLook for the letters VDB on the reverse at the bottom rim between the wheat ears, and an S below the date. Added S marks are common, so check the S with a loupe.
- Key date1909-SLook for an S below the date and no VDB on the reverse.
- Key date1914-DLook for a D below the date. Altered 1944-D cents are common: on a genuine 1914-D the designer's initials VDB are absent from the shoulder.
- Variety1917 Doubled Die ObverseLook at IN GOD WE TRUST and the date for clear doubling.
- Variety1922 No DLook below the 1922 date: no D at all, with a strong reverse, comes from a worn Denver die. A faint D is a weak D, a separate variety.
- Semi-key date1924-DLook for a D below the 1924 date.
- Semi-key date1926-SLook for an S below the 1926 date.
- Key date1931-SLook for an S below the 1931 date.
- Metal change1943 bronze (copper) centHold a magnet to it: a normal 1943 cent is steel and sticks. One that does not stick and weighs about 3.11 g needs expert authentication, since many are plated steel or altered 1948 dates.
- Metal change1944 steel centHold a magnet to it: a normal 1944 cent is brass and does not stick. One that sticks and weighs about 2.70 g needs expert authentication.
- Variety1955 Doubled Die ObverseLook at the date and IN GOD WE TRUST: every letter and digit shows a strong, separated second image.
- Variety1958 Doubled Die ObverseLook at IN GOD WE TRUST and LIBERTY for strong doubling.
Doubloon can't confirm a variety from a photo. Compare your coin with this guidance. A grading service can authenticate it.
What sets the value
Melt value is the gold, silver, platinum or palladium in the coin multiplied by the current spot price. Copper, nickel, zinc and steel coins have no melt value in Doubloon.
Collector value depends on the date, the mint mark, any variety, and condition. Doubloon Pro shows a collector estimate range by condition, built from recent public sales and listings, with the sources and date for each range. When no recent sales are found, Doubloon says so and shows the melt value.
Condition runs from Circulated (Good to Fine) through Extremely Fine, About Uncirculated and Uncirculated, to Proof for coins struck for collectors. Don't clean a coin: cleaning can lower its collector value.
Related coins
Sources and dates
- Doubloon catalog source: usmint-history
- United States Mint, coin specifications (weight, diameter, composition)
- A Guide Book of United States Coins (Whitman): key dates, varieties and mintages
- Doubloon catalog source: pcgs-coinfacts
- Doubloon catalog source: ngc-coin-explorer
- Spot prices: unavailable when this page was loaded.
- Specifications and key dates: Doubloon's catalog, reviewed October 8, 2026.
Values on this page are estimates, not appraisals, offers or investment advice.