Last week I reached into a change tray of a coin machine at the grocery store and found a dime and a penny.
Big deal, right? Yep, it was a big deal. At least to me because I found my first 1943 steel penny! I'd seen one before but this is the first one I've found.
Here's a better explanation from Wikipedia:
1943 steel cents are U.S. one-cent coins that were struck in steel due to wartime shortages of copper. The Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco mintseach produced these 1943 Lincoln cents.
The unique composition of the coin (low-grade steel coated with zinc, instead of the previously 95%-copper-based bronze composition) has led to various nicknames, such as wartime cent, steel war penny, and steelie. The 1943 steel cent features the same Victor David Brenner design for the Lincoln cent which had been in use since 1909.
So, I was thrilled to find one of these somewhat rare coins. They are probably not worth a lot, but I will keep this bad boy. I'm thrilled to have found it!
Have you ever seen or found a 1943 steel war penny?
I also found quite a few more coins (shown in the photo) since I last posted here. In total, I found $3.86! One of those coins was a 1946 nickel!
In case you want to start your own steel penny collection, check them out for yourself.
Facts About This Found Money
Denomination: 46 pennies, 3 nickels, 15 dimes, 7 quarters (including a 1943 steel zinc penny and a 1946 nickel!)
Year: too many to mess with
U.S. Mint: same
Condition: shiny to tarnished
Total Found Money in 2018 to Date: $38.48
