Are 1944 pennies steel or copper?

Most 1944 Wheat Pennies are bronze (95% copper), but counterfeits might be coated with nickel or zinc to mimic steel.


What were 1944 pennies made of?

1944 wheat pennies were only made of copper and zinc from 1944 to 1946 due to a supply shortage of tin. Within the tin element in the composition of this metal, these coins were brass, not bronze.

Is there a 1944 steel penny?

1944 STEEL Wheat Penny Value

According to the NGC Price Guide, as of December 2022, a Wheat Penny from 1944 in circulated condition is worth between $7500 and $33500. However, on the open market 1944 STEEL Pennies in pristine, uncirculated condition sell for as much as $200000.


How much is a 1944 P steel penny worth?

How much is a 1944 Steel Penny worth? This section is more of a layman's guide, for those new to collecting. In Average Circulated (AC) condition it's worth around $10000.00, one in certified mint state (MS+) condition could bring as much as $408,000 at auction.

What makes a 1944 penny so rare?

The 1944 Lincoln penny is particularly desirable in the eyes of collectors not only because of its design, but also due to its scarcity. Being that there are no more 1944 Lincolns being produced, the scarcity of these coins is constantly on the rise, thus making the coins more valuable.


1944 WHEAT PENNIES WORTH MONEY - RARE & VALUABLE COINS TO LOOK FOR!!



What makes a 1944 penny rare?

Only about 24 steel pennies were made, making them extremely rare and valuable, with one selling for $408,000 in 2021.

How many 1944 steel pennies are out there?

In 1944, the Philadelphia Mint only made 30 steel pennies. The rest were bronze cents, and they made over 1.4B of those.

How much is a 1943 or 1944 steel penny worth?

Value of a 1943 Steel Penny

They are worth about 10 to 13 cents each in circulated condition and as much as 50 cents or more if uncirculated.


What years of pennies are pure copper?

If your Lincoln Memorial penny has a date before 1982, it is made of 95% copper. If the date is 1983 or later, it is made of 97.5% zinc and plated with a thin copper coating. For pennies dated 1982, when both copper and zinc cents were made, and best way to determine their composition is to weigh them.

Does a steel penny stick to a magnet?

The easiest way to determine if a 1943 cent is made of steel, and not copper, is to use a magnet. If it sticks to the magnet, it is not copper. If it does not stick, the coin might be of copper and should be authenticated by an expert.

What years are pennies steel?

Following its introduction in 1909, the Lincoln Head cent circulated unchanged for more than 30 years until world war once again reared its head. By 1942, the need for copper in the wartime manufacturing sector had grown acute, so for the year 1943, virtually all pennies were made from steel with a zinc coating.


Should a 1944 wheat penny stick to a magnet?

If you find a copper 1943 or steel 1944 penny, do two things: Test the coin with a magnet. Real steel coins will stick; coated coins will not.

Which 1944 s penny is worth a lot of money?

Lacking a mint marking, as it was never meant to be released for circulation, the 1944 Steel Wheat Penny will set a buyer back $77,234 to $110,334, depending on the coins condition.

Is a steel penny worth anything?

This silverish coin comprises 1% zinc and 99% steel, sometimes referred to as the silver penny. The penny got issued as a copper substitute during the 2nd world war. In its average condition, the value stands at 45 cents, while mint state steel wheat pennies have a $10 approximate value.


What is the rarest wheat penny?

The most valuable Wheat Penny ever auctioned is a unique 1943-D Bronze Cent, sold for $840,000. Other examples of valuable wheat pennies include the 1909-S VDB Lincoln Wheat Penny, the 1944 Steel Penny, and other variations of the 1943 Bronze Penny.

What is the error on the 1944 penny?

Only the 1944 wheat pennies from San Francisco and Denver had a mint mark. The marks are “D” for Denver and “S” for San Francisco. They are present under the year 1944 on the obverse.

What year is the rarest steel penny?

There are few vintage coins as widely collected as the 1943 steel Lincoln penny. This applies within and even beyond the numismatic realm. This unusual-looking Lincoln Wheat cent is unlike any other United States one-cent coin.


What is a 1943 zinc penny worth?

The coin can sell for around 0.15 USD when in a good state. Expect the value to rise to 0.35 USD in fine grade, 0.48 USD in extremely fine form, and sell at 1.50 USD in the uncirculated grade.

Are any wheat pennies valuable?

“There are millions and millions of wheat pennies and most commonly they trade for three-to-five cents a piece. If you're looking for a particular date, it can be much, much more than that. The rarest is the 1909 VDB. Those can be worth anywhere from $700 to $1,500 depending on the coin's grade.

How many 1943 copper pennies have been found?

“Approximately 40 1943 copper–alloy cents are known to remain in existence. Coin experts speculate that they were struck by accident when copper–alloy 1–cent blanks remained in the press hopper when production began on the new steel pennies.”


What year was the last 100% copper penny?

If your Lincoln Memorial penny has a date before 1982, it is made of 95% copper. If the date is 1983 or later, it is made of 97.5% zinc and plated with a thin copper coating.

Why is a 1982 penny worth $10000?

So for the past 30 years, pennies have been made with an alloy comprised of 97.5% zinc and 2.5% copper, but pennies minted before 1982 are 95% copper and 5% zinc. The price of copper has more than quadrupled over the past 10 years.

What year are 95% copper pennies?

It is a well known fact that pennies minted from 1982 and back are made of 95% copper. These copper pennies are not rare at all.