One of the most unusual pennies produced by the United States Mint are the "1943 Silver Pennies." Most people believe that all pennies ever produced by the United States Mint are made of copper. Therefore, when someone finds one of these silver pennies in their pocket change, they believe they have come across a great rarity. Although they are uncommon, they are hardly rare.

The War Effort and Metals

The 1943 silver colored penny is a wartime coin issue made of steel and coated with zinc. During World War II, the war effort required a lot of copper to make shell casings and munitions. In 1943 the penny was made out of zinc plated steel to save copper for the war effort which is why most 1943 pennies are silver colored.

Metal was not the only commodity that was critical to the war effort. American citizens were asked to conserve food such as sugar, meat, cooking oil, and canned goods. Critical goods were ration to American citizens using coupon books issued by the government. Most critical of all was gasoline.

1:42 Watch Now: The Most Valuable Lincoln Wheat Pennies

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. 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). The first column lists the date and mint mark followed by the buy price, and the sell value for an average circulated Lincoln Wheat penny. The next two columns list the buy price and the sell value for an average uncirculated. These are approximate retail prices and wholesale values. The actual offer you receive from a particular coin dealer will vary depending on the actual grade of the coin and some other factors that determine its worth.

Common 1943 Steel Penny Values