1943 Bronze Lincoln Cent

The king of U.S. Mint errors is the 1943 bronze cent, whose story is familiar to most numismatists. During World War II, the U.S. Mint switched from bronze planchets to zinc-clad steel ones for the entirety of the 1943 Lincoln cent issue. This switch saved enough copper to produce over a million artillery shells for the war effort. During the transition, however, a small number of 1943-dated cents were inadvertently struck on leftover bronze planchets. 

In recent years, genuine examples of 1943 bronze cents have invariably commanded six-figure prices, including the one shown here, which is graded About Uncirculated-55 Brown by Numismatic Guaranty Company (NGC) and pedigreed to the Donald G. Partrick Collection. It realized $240,000 in April 2021. As you might expect, unscrupulous individuals have attempted to cash in on the excitement of this storied coin by creating counterfeits. NGC recently identified one of them. 

This fake coin passes the first test that many collectors and dealers use: It weighs the standard 3.11g. However, a metallurgical analysis determined that it is struck in 100-percent copper, rather than the expected bronze alloy that includes 95-percent copper with a touch of zinc and tin.

Even without high-tech equipment, plenty of clues indicate that this coin is fake. The characters in LIBERTY and the date on the obverse are too thick, and LIBERTY and IN GOD WE TRUST both have weak details and fade into the field. In contrast to these, the characters in the fake coin’s date are more pronounced, suggesting that the counterfeiter gave it special attention. (Collectors should always inspect this part of the coin closely to make sure they are not dealing with a Lincoln cent that has had one of the last two digits in its date altered to make it look like a 1943.)

On the reverse, the characters in UNITED STATES OF AMERICA also fade into the field and are a bit on the thin side, in contrast to the hefty ones in LIBERTY and the date. In addition, the overall surface texture is unusual, presenting a rusty appearance with many pimples and areas of roughness.

Numismatists may dream of finding one of these coins in the wild, but they should be extremely cautious when dealing with any supposed example that is uncertified. Remember, NGC backs its determinations of authenticity and grade with the NGC Guarantee.

A version of this article appears in the May 2025 issue of The Numismatist (money.org).