Steel Cent Help

[Sleepy Holow]

Found this coin today...OBVIOUSLY, it's a 1944 Steel Cent, but I just can't prove it! The coin is magnetic and looks like it's seen better days. Actually, it looks like a corroded beam on an old bridge. There's nic-a-date for nickels, but is there anything for this situation. I'm guessing not, but seeing if any of you guys have any tips or tricks. I've done nothing to the coin this far...

 

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[PetesPockets55]

And why do you say "obviously a 1944 steel cent"?
Because you can't read the date and that's about the only way most of us would come across a valuable one?
(I may be a slow learner but at least I'm not very fast!)

Sorry, but there is nothing I'm familiar with for reading or resurrecting a missing date on cents,

 

[enamel7]

I think Sleepy just meant 43.

 

[Megalodon]

That obverse is barely recognizable! When I was doing cents in the 1960's, there were companies that "re-processed" the zinc coating and offered freshly re-coated sets of lightly circulated 1943, 43-D and 43-S in magazine ads for a couple of bucks.

 

[Carolina Tom]

You could use electrolysis to remove the rust, then wax it so it does re-rust. I would just leave it alone. JMHO.

GOOD LUCK!

 

[Immy]

And why do you say "obviously a 1944 steel cent"?

Um, a little humor guys. There are a handful of authentic 1944 steel pennies out there and since he can't read the date on this one, it must be one of them. It's just a joke.

 

[sprailroad]

Ya know, over the years I have found two copper COATED steel cents, the first one I thought it might have been an attempt at a counterfeit for profit, (and like Smokey, it seems to have been lost SOMEWHERE in the house) and the second one I thought was a regular wheat penny I had dug in the same hole as a couple of others, did not even look at the date, and forgot about it. While testing a setting on a detector, saw that wheat penny in my desk drawer, tossed it down, ran the coil over it and nothing!, I thought what?, something wrong here? tried a couple of others and all was fine, went over that ONE penny again and, "nothing". Picked it up and looked at it and THEN realized it to be a 1943, which were steel, not bronze, but it looked so brown. I did become a little excited I admit, thinking I may have stumbled upon something really, really, REALLY good. There is the story of a number of copper blanks accidentally mixed with the steel ones in 1943, etc. etc. When that story got out, (I THINK in the early 50's?) seems there was a sort of "craze" going on with the public checking all of their pocket change hoping to score big. I believe that there was one company at that time (at this time, cannot remember the name) that cashed in on the thing by producing copper coated steel cents as novelty items, and selling them I THINK for around 50 cents. I believe I had found two of those , again one of them some copper had worn off, showing both alloys, and the other angled in the right light your can just make out a very slight steel color. I did realize that with some discrimination on the detector one would never detect a steel cent, it being blanked out as junk. Just a short story involving the steel pennies, and yep, I believe Sleepy meant 1943. As far as bringing back the date on that toasted steel coin? I'm thinking not. Could be used to test for sound and numbers on your detector in ALL Metal Mode, IF you should so desire I guess.

 

[Sleepy Holow]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and experiences with steel cents, guys. That's what I appreciate about being part of this community. Guess we'll never know the date and/or mint mark.

...and just to clear things up, yes Immy, it was a joke that I had found the all-rare 1944 Steel Cent. Apparently, my numismatic jokes don't go over very well...

 

[port ewen ace]

my 1912-S Buffalo nickel is almost finished---- will list it with Heritage next year

 

[Dozer D]

What about the gram weight, I don't remember the grams of the steel vs coppers.
What's a steelie weigh guys vs copper., might help solve this question.

 

[Megalodon]

I usually find these stuck on the magnet of the coin machines at my dump credit unions. But today, this 43-S, my first 43-S of the year, was in the external reject tray. Most look rougher than this one.

 

[Sleepy Holow]

Sweet find, Mega! I have 3 of the 1943's so far, but no mint marks yet.

 

[PetesPockets55]

Sorry about coming off "tense", Sleepy (and everyone else). Definitely not my intention. Thanks for bringing it into question.

I finally realized that you meant that everyone only finds the valuable ones, especially if they can't read the date!
My reply was poorly worded and my feeble attempt at humor. I've been out of town for 5 days so this is the first chance to correct it.

 

[Billieg]

I've got a whole roll of UN-circulated 1943 pennies if you want some...

 

[Sleepy Holow]

It's all good, Pete. Thanks for the reply.