1943 copper penny: value, how many exist, how to test
The 1943 copper penny is worth $100,000+ with about two dozen known. Magnet, weight and date tests that expose copper-plated steel cents and altered 1948s.
| Mintage | No official mintage: struck by accident on bronze blanks left over from 1942. About two dozen known: roughly 15 to 17 from Philadelphia, 5 to 7 from San Francisco and one from Denver |
|---|---|
| Composition | 95% copper, 5% tin and zinc (the 1942 bronze alloy) |
| Weight | 3.11 g |
| Diameter | 19.05 mm |
| Mint mark | Below the date; the single known 1943-D copper cent is the rarest |
1943 penny value chart
| Coin | Circulated | Uncirculated | Top grades / record |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1943 copper cent (Philadelphia), about 15–17 known | $204,000 – $336,000 (AU-50 to AU-55, 2013–2022) | $348,000 – $372,000 (MS-62, 2021) | Auction record $372,000 (Heritage, Feb 2021) |
| 1943-S copper cent, 5–7 known | $141,000 – $456,000 (VF-35 to AU-55, 2013–2026) | One MS-62 coin, reported sold privately for $1 million | Auction record $456,000 (Stack's Bowers, Mar 2026) |
| 1943-D copper cent, one known | — | $840,000 (MS-64, Heritage, Jan 2021) | $1.7 million in a private sale (Sep 2010) |
| Copper-plated 1943 steel cent (novelty) | No collector value | — | Sticks to a magnet; weighs 2.70 g |
Source: PCGS CoinFacts auction records and census for the 1943, 1943-S and 1943-D bronze cents; CoinNews (23 Sep 2010) for the $1.7 million sale; CoinWeek (2019 and Mar 2026) for the $204,000, $456,000 and $840,000 sales. PCGS and CoinWeek count the 1943-S population differently, so both figures are shown. Values checked on 2026-10-29. Values are reference ranges for typical examples, from published price guides and recent sales, and are not an offer to buy. Rare varieties and high grades need authentication before you trust a price.
How to check yours
- Magnet. If it sticks, it is steel, whatever the colour. Stop here.
- Scale. A bronze cent weighs 3.11 g. Plated steel weighs about 2.70 g even though it looks copper.
- The 3. Put it beside an ordinary 1943 steel cent: PCGS says the 3 must match that font exactly. A 3 shaped differently, or with tool marks around it, means an altered date, often a 1948 with the 8 recut.
- The initials. The designer's initials VDB must be on the truncation of Lincoln's bust. A 1913 cent altered to read 1943 does not have them.
- Photograph it and send it in. If it passes every test, do not sell it, clean it or show it around. PCGS and NGC authenticate; an authenticated coin sells for six figures, an unauthenticated one finds no serious buyer.
Every year a few 1943 pennies that “don’t stick to a magnet” reach grading services, and nearly all of them are plated or altered. This page is for the moment before you get excited: the tests, in order, and what a genuine coin is worth once a grading service agrees.
Values checked on 29 October 2026 against the sources named under the chart.
- ~24genuine examples known
- 3.11 gweight of a real bronze cent
- 2.70 gweight of a plated steel fake
- $1.7Mrecord sale: the unique 1943-D, 2010
Why the error happened
In late 1942 the Mint changed the cent from bronze to zinc-coated steel to free copper for the war. A few bronze blanks stayed behind in the tote bins and presses, and when the 1943 dies went in, those blanks were struck like any other. The coins went out in bags with a billion steel cents and were found one at a time over the following decades, which is why the known population crept up slowly and why collectors still check every 1943.
The three fakes you will actually meet
Copper-plated steel cents. Sold as novelties. They look copper, they are dated 1943, and they stick to a magnet. Value: nothing.
Altered dates. A bronze cent of another year, often a 1948, with the last digit recut into a 3. These pass the magnet and the scale. PCGS’s test is the font: the 3 must match the 3 on an ordinary 1943 steel cent, and Brenner’s initials VDB must sit on the truncation of the bust, which rules out an altered 1913. The 1943 steel penny page has the steel coin to compare against.
Cast or struck counterfeits. Rarer, and the reason PCGS calls authentication mandatory for every 1943 bronze cent.
What a genuine coin sells for
| Coin | Known | Auction and sale results |
|---|---|---|
| 1943 (Philadelphia) | About 15–17 | $204,000 – $336,000 circulated; $348,000 – $372,000 in MS-62 |
| 1943-S | 5–7 | $141,000 – $456,000 circulated; one MS-62 reported at $1 million privately |
| 1943-D | One | $840,000 at Heritage in 2021; $1.7 million privately in 2010 |
The figures move with each sale, and the spread between a worn coin and a mint-state coin is large. What does not move is the floor: every authenticated 1943 bronze cent sold at auction since 2013 has been a six-figure coin.
What to do with a candidate
Weigh it, magnet it, photograph both sides, and compare the 3 with an ordinary 1943 steel cent. Then check that VDB is on the bust. If it passes, submit it to PCGS or NGC and say nothing until the certificate comes back; the coin identifier can name the coin from a photo, but no photo can authenticate it. The next year’s version of the same accident, the 1944 steel cent, is worth checking for by the same method in reverse: a 1944 that sticks to a magnet. The rare pennies list covers the other cents worth this kind of attention.
Scan your coin with the free app
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Frequently asked questions
How much is a 1943 copper penny worth?
Well over $100,000 for an authenticated example in any condition. Since 2013, circulated coins have sold at auction for $141,000 to $456,000 and uncirculated ones for $348,000 to $840,000; the unique 1943-D brought $1.7 million in a 2010 private sale. Without a PCGS or NGC certificate no serious buyer will pay for one.
How many 1943 copper pennies are there?
About two dozen are known across the three mints: PCGS counts roughly 15 to 17 from Philadelphia, the San Francisco population is put at five to seven, and a single Denver coin exists. New genuine discoveries are extremely rare; the coin that turns up in a drawer is almost always a plated steel cent or an altered date.
How can I tell if a 1943 penny is really copper?
A genuine copper cent does not stick to a magnet and weighs 3.11 grams. A copper-plated steel cent looks right but sticks to the magnet and weighs about 2.70 grams. An altered 1948 passes both tests, which is why PCGS checks that the 3 matches the font of a 1943 steel cent, and why a professional examination is the final word.
What is a 1943 copper penny made of?
The standard 1942 bronze alloy: 95% copper with 5% tin and zinc. A few of those blanks were left in the presses when the Mint switched to zinc-coated steel for 1943 and were struck with the new year's dies, at all three mints.
Where do I sell a 1943 copper penny?
Through a major auction house such as Heritage or Stack's Bowers, both of which have sold authenticated examples, after PCGS or NGC authentication. The grading company's certificate is what the auction house, and every serious buyer, will rely on.