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The Global Insight

How can you tell if a 1943 penny is bronze?

Author

Christopher Davis

Updated on April 11, 2026

The easiest way to determine whether or not your 1943 Cent has collectible value—to see if it is possibly bronze rather than steel—is simply to test it with a magnet. If the coin is magnetic, then it is, unfortunately, the common steel version and is not valuable in most cases.

How many 1943 bronze pennies are there?

There are only about a dozen authentic 1943 bronze cents that have been documented. Here is how to determine if your coin is worth $1 or $100,000. Even a small magnet will easily stick to any 1943 penny made of steel.

How can you tell if a penny is copper or bronze?

Try picking your coin up with a magnet. If your coin is attracted to the magnet, it is made of copper-plated steel (a fraud). If the magnet does not attract your coin, it may be made of bronze and you should have the coin authenticated to determine if it is the “real deal”.

Is a 1943 D copper penny worth anything?

How Much is it Worth? At PCGS the 1943 and 1943-S copper pennies are valued at $1 million each, while the 1943-D is listed at $1.5 million. But for a coin this rare, actual sales from auctions or private sales (when available) are the best measure of value, especially as these coins rarely come up for sale.

Are all 1943 copper pennies accounted for?

Copper pennies dated 1943 are not supposed to exist. They are supposed to be made out of zinc-plated steel. However, some of these pennies do exist and it’s a matter of sheer luck if you find one in pocket change.

How can you tell if its real bronze?

It is possible to make a test to distinguish bronze from regulus, in fact, if you discretely scratch a part of the statue with a metallic object and a yellowish tint appears, the object is made of bronze. However, if by doing so a colour verging on white appears, it is likely made of regulus.

How much is a 1943 Lincoln penny worth?

USA Coin Book estimated value of 1943-D Lincoln Wheat Penny (Bronze/Copper Variety) is worth $408,418 in average condition and can be worth $821,820 to $2,087,886 or more in uncirculated (MS+) mint condition. Click here to learn how to use coin price charts.

What’s the rarest type of 1943 bronze penny?

At the Philadelphia Mint, the 1943 Bronze Lincoln Penny number we know of reaches 22. Most of them correspond to the Brown (BN) typology, about 19 specimens. The second-rarest type of the 1943 Philadelphia Bronze Penny is the Red and Brown (RB) with two specimens. The rarest is the Red (RD) with only one specimen.

Are there any 1943 D Wheat Pennys left?

However: A small number of copper planchets were left over from 1942 and were used in 1943 during the transition to steel planchets. The 1943 copper cent was produced at all three mints. However – Only 1 single Denver-minted 1943-D Copper Cent is known to exist.

Can a 1943 Steel Penny be counterfeited?

Beware of fake counterfeits – as this is one of the most counterfeited of all US coins. Some scammers will attempt to plate a 1943 steel penny in copper. A good test is to place the coin near a magnet. If the coin sticks to the magnet – then it has steel content and is therefore fake.