I found a steel penny today

"If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent" (essextee) 01/20/2020 at 14:09 • Filed to: Coinlopnik

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41

Due to copper rationing during WWII the U.S. Mint made pennies out of steel for 1943. They’re n ot especially valuable (an uncirculated one is worth 50¢) but it’s an interesting footnote in numismatic history.

Here’s a picture of it sticking to a RockAuto magnet to keep it car-related

Jayvincent > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 01/20/2020 at 14:17

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You lucky dog! 

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > Jayvincent 01/20/2020 at 14:18

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I'm gonna put it with my 1890 dime.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 01/20/2020 at 14:24

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Thanks for teaching me a new word.

jimz > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 01/20/2020 at 14:30

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on the other hand, there was a small  number of copper 1943 pennies minted, so if you happen on one you’ve really got something. 

For Sweden > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 01/20/2020 at 14:31

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Steelies > alloys

facw > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 01/20/2020 at 14:55

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Hmm, never seen one of those before.

Anyway, it’s time to remove the penny, nickle, and  the dime from circulation.

AdamB > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 01/20/2020 at 15:10

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Nice find. I always find it cool to see older coins. Cant believe you found one from 1943.

fintail > jimz 01/20/2020 at 15:23

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High 5 figures from what I can find.  Not bad.

fintail > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 01/20/2020 at 15:24

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Nice find. I might get a wheatie in change every few years, now less frequent as I use plastic 90% of the time.

I have a container where I keep pre-1982  pennies (copper) too, just for the hell of it.

VW Max > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 01/20/2020 at 16:06

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Damn, that’s sweet. I’ve gone through a few thousand dollars of rolled coins looking for silver and wheat cents but I've never found a steel cent 

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > AdamB 01/20/2020 at 16:25

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I work with money so I routinely see stuff even older than that. This is the crown jewel of my collection:

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > VW Max 01/20/2020 at 16:29

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A few THOUSAND dollars worth of pennies?!

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > facw 01/20/2020 at 16:30

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I’m game, as long and they don’t round everything that’s 1.01 up to 1.25...

facw > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 01/20/2020 at 16:36

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Most plans call for fair rounding, which means the most you could ever lose is $0.12 per cash transaction (electronic transactions would still be to the nearest cent). In theory this would average out. Opponents are scared that stores would figure out how to game it, but that would be hard beyond single item transactions. And of course if anyone wanted to, they could game the payment system by paying electronically when the cash price rounds up, and with cash when it rounds down. But of course neither of those things are a huge concern because those few cents really aren’t worth the effort. When the US killed the half penny, it was worth ~$0.13 in today’s money.

AdamB > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 01/20/2020 at 16:44

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C ool!

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > facw 01/20/2020 at 16:47

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I’m totally game for fair rounding at checkout (not per item), with transparency (your receipt would actually show you whether your total was rounded up or rounded down). Would this only apply to in-person transactions in establishments that accept cash (and at banks, when cashing checks or withdrawing funds) , and not for online transactions?

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > VW Max 01/20/2020 at 16:51

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Is this you? =)

https://www.businessinsider.com/pennsylvania-man-steals-300000-pennies-police-2016-9

facw > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 01/20/2020 at 16:55

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Most plans would only do it for cash transactions (which is what makes sense to me).

Jim Spanfeller > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 01/20/2020 at 16:56

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That is cool. The oldest coin I’ve ever found was a penny from 1975, which I discovered in the glove box of my ‘66 Thunderbird.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > facw 01/20/2020 at 16:59

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I vote “yeah”.

Urambo Tauro > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 01/20/2020 at 17:01

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So h ow did you come to   find  it? Was it still making t he rounds as a normal penny?

ttyymmnn > VW Max 01/20/2020 at 18:18

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I’ve got a couple of steel pennies lying around, but wheat pennies are becoming increasingly hard to find. I guess the mint has pulled them from circulation. 

ttyymmnn > facw 01/20/2020 at 18:22

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ttyymmnn > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 01/20/2020 at 18:24

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I once got an original $2 bill as change in the lunchroom. Would have been about 1977. I think my step mom tossed when she cleaned out my room after I moved out.

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > ttyymmnn 01/20/2020 at 18:47

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I see like a dozen a day but then again part of my job is handling money

DavidJMontanes2 > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 01/20/2020 at 19:35

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I have about 14 steel pennies 1943 if you want them all I’ll give you them for $20.00 the whole lot?

Greeneyes > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 01/20/2020 at 20:03

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How how can you tell if it's a steel penny I've had a 1943 penny for about 20 years or more never had it checked just kept it could someone help me I have a picture of it I can send or post I also have a penny that is a 1943 silver

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > Greeneyes 01/20/2020 at 20:28

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1) It’s steel colored instead of copper

2) it sticks to a magnet

That's how you know.

MM54 > For Sweden 01/20/2020 at 21:15

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Copper wheels would be hilariously bad in every way - soft, heavy, corrode, work harden and crack... too bad copper is so expensive, I could otherwise see some random guy on youtube trying it.

Greeneyes > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 01/20/2020 at 22:09

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Thank you 

M.T. Blake > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 01/20/2020 at 22:20

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I should go find mine. I’ve got about 20 of them. Very neat to have around.

BTW. I couldn’t help myself. I’m sorry. I hope you understand. Who doesn’t like a chicken on a raft?

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > Greeneyes 01/20/2020 at 22:57

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It’s steel colored. The steel ones aren’t copper colored.

VW Max > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 01/20/2020 at 23:47

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Maybe $400 in pennies. I went through a bunch of half dollars and nickels looking for silver.

I wish I was able to go through several thousand in pennies, but it's hard enough to get rid of more than $50 boxes a week. 

pip bip - choose Corrour > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 01/21/2020 at 02:45

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question about the shiny coin, what does it say?

Greeneyes > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 01/21/2020 at 07:37

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Where are you from . I'm sad I got a whole bank bag of my old coins stolen two days ago and one was my steel penny along with half dollars and such in a green bank bag

ateamfan42 > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 01/21/2020 at 08:14

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The 43 steel penny is pretty neat when you find one.  Also of interest are the 1944 and 1945 pennies, which were made from re-stamped shell casings.  Apparently even the steel was being conserved at that point.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > VW Max 01/21/2020 at 09:30

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Was it worth the effort?

VW Max > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 01/21/2020 at 10:35

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Sometimes a box of halves would have like 8 silver coins, sometimes it would have nothing. I always found pennies and war nickels.

It's only worth doing if you enjoy searching through coins 

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > VW Max 01/21/2020 at 10:37

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I do messing with coins, from time to time, and have a small collection, but not sure if I’d have the patience.

Edward > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 01/21/2020 at 14:01

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I have I have a penny that's kind of weird a couple of them I'll send you a picture of them can you tell me if the worth anything can you tell me where to send the pictures to

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > Edward 01/21/2020 at 14:05

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I’m by no means qualified to evaluate your collection but  if you do a web search for “ [year] penny value” you can find some resources that will help you figure out if you’ve got anything special.