by Steve Wolff
As an emergency measure during WWII, all 1943 US cents were struck in steel instead of copper. The copper saved from this one-year issue was used in the war effort, mainly to manufacture shell casings. Before this decision was made by the government that year, a small number of 1943 cents were struck in copper, and a few examples are known to have escaped the US Mint.
This situation quickly spawned a rumor that circulated widely throughout America during the 1940’s. The rumor was that the Ford Motor Company would give away a new Ford car to anyone who found a 1943 Copper Penny. Of course, the rumor wasn’t true – but it is thought to have led a number of unscrupulous folks to create their own bogus “Copper Pennies” by copper-plating over the 1943 Steel Cent.
To read more about 1943 Steel Cents, visit CollectibleAmerica.com: http://www.collectibleamerica.com/search/searchresults/1803224.aspx
Tags: Steel Cent Penny 1943 WWII Ford Rumor
