1943 S Steel Wheat Penny

Notes: In the year 1943 the United States issued the steel penny because the copper was needed for World War II the steel look is actually the result of the mint using a Zinc coating. The composition of this coin is 99% steel with a thin layer of zinc. See photo above for actual example. The 1943 Steel Wheat Penny is much akin to the 1943 War Nickel in that both coins were issued with alternate metal compositions in order to save metal for the war.

There were just a few of the 1944 Steel Pennies ever minted and all would have been released by error into the coin supply. Coin analyst are suggesting that steel planchets may have been tested or left mixed amongst the other copper metals and thus the error. No matter what the cause these coins are selling for just under $100,000 dollars according to our resources. Make sure the coin you have or are buying is not a zinc coated copper penny ripoff.

1943 Steel Wheat Cent Errors

Double Die

Double die strike errors are known to exist in the year 1943 for the steel wheat cent. Look closely at the lettering and or dates to find traces of this error.

Off Center Strike

When the die strikes the planchet off center it creates an off center strike. These can be off anywhere from 5-90% in any direction. Look for a blank crescent shape at the edge of the coin to spot this error. See image above as example.

Struck on Dime Planchet

Silver dime planchets somehow made their way into the hoppers for the 1943 steel pennies and were struck and released to the public by accident.

Struck Through

Example above is a struck through die cap, but in general struck through errors occur when a foreign object makes its way between the die and the planchet and remnants of this object are indented into the coin.

1943 Bronze Wheat Penny

The mother of all coin United States coin errors. The 1943 Bronze / Copper planchet wheat cent is one of the most valuable coin errors ever.

Price Chart

Rates listed here refer to professionally graded and slabbed coins. If new to collecting the prices below might not make sense.

Breakdown of pricing per condition for 1943 S Steel Wheat Penny by individual grade.

• Grade MS61 = $2-$4
• Grade MS62 = $5-$8
• Grade MS63 = $5-$9
• Grade MS64 = $6-$10
• Grade MS65 = $11-$19
• Grade MS66 = $26-$44
• Grade MS67 = $338-$563
• Grade MS68 = $1,425-$2,375

Is the list above a little overwhelming? If so, take 5 minutes to learn all about Coin Grading.

It's also important to note...Prices are subject to the same supply and demand laws as everything else. Coins sold at the same auction house 10x, would fetch drastically different bids each session. To raise your chances of receiving top dollar read How to Get the Most for your Coins.

We've personally researched these values. If you enjoy our content please return the favor and share this page with your friends.

How much is a 1943 S Steel Wheat Penny worth?

In Average Circulated (AC) condition it's worth around 65 cents, one in certified mint state (MS+) condition could bring as much as $25 at auction. This price does not reference any standard coin grading scale. So when we say Average Circulated, we mean in a similar condition to other coins circulated in 1943, and mint state meaning it is certified MS+ by one of the top coin grading companies. *** [?].

What are your coins really worth?

Use the handy-dandy calculator below to find the real value of any steel wheat penny in your collection.