Steel Penny?

Question

Has anybody ever gotten a 1940s steel penny from the bank? Or even less likely, has anybody ever gotten one for change from a store? If so, when?

Answer 1

When I was a kid we made look alikes by pouring a glob of mercury in the palms of our hands and sliding a copper penny around in it.  Now people wonder how I got the way I am.

Answer 2

I picked up a few 1943-D coins from a Coinstar machine recently; the machine will reject the coin for its zinc composition.

Answer 3

Got 43,43-D,43-S at a resale shop.

Answer 4

I got one from the bank once but not recently, 1943 was the only year they were made of steel but there were a handful of copper ones made as well that year.  FYI a real 1943 copper penny is worth a lot of money.

Answer 5

The only date of the zinc coated steel cent is 1943. There were 684,628,670 minted at the Philadelphia mint, 217,660,000 at the Denver mint and 191,550,000 minted at the San Francisco mint. So there are far from scarce. I get one in change or from the bank in a cent roll a couple a year and once got a whole roll about 4 years ago. The coins being different were saved by may people that is one reason even ones in Mint State are worth only a few dollars. They are a conversation item as well as a historical item. It only lasted a year for the government knew they made a mistake in the combination of metals used. They rust quite nicely. A lot have been replated so they look better, then they are sold for more money.