What’s so special about the U.S. 1943 copper penny?

The U.S. 1943 copper penny is considered by the American Numismatic Association to be the most prized American coin. In 1943, the U.S. government changed the composition of the penny from copper to steel with a zinc coating, since copper was being used in the war effort. But some coins were struck in copper accidentally.

Because very few of these coins were struck in copper, they are very rare and very valuable today. To find out whether an American 1943 penny is made of copper or steel, simply place it near a magnet; if it is attracted by the magnet, the coin is steel and not particularly valuable. But if it is not attracted, it is copper, and very rare. Be careful, however, because many people have tried to counterfeit these coins using pennies issued in 1945, 1948, and 1949, by altering the final numeral in the date. The coin should, therefore, be appraised by a numismatist to assertain if it is genuine.

When the first 1943 penny was sold at auction in 1958, it went for over $40,000. The most recent one was sold in 1996 for $82,500.