1943 Steel Wheat Penny
cm52627
Posts: 2 ✭
I recently got these pennies graded and I am wondering what “surface plated” and “damage” means. Would the damaged one be worth anything? Thanks for any information!
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Many steel cents were "reprocessed" in the 1960's by cleaning and plating them. It's something that will be obvious if you look at enough steel cents. Unfortunately, they're worth only standard common wheat cent prices - about 4 cents each.
Surface plated means that someone plated the coins in zinc to make them look prettier. They are worth only about two cents raw, but since they’re graded you could get about a buck for them IMO.
Type collector, mainly into Seated. -formerly Ownerofawheatiehorde. Good BST transactions with: mirabela, OKCC, MICHAELDIXON, Gerard
Surface plating is exactly that--the coin was plated to "refresh" the coin and give it a shiny new look. These are also called "reprocessed" steel cents. The coins end up looking polished and their value is effectively zero. The middle coin looks to be plated as well, but perhaps has some other kind of additional damage PCGS chose since they can only name one issue on a coin. Either way, a problem-free AU isn't worth much, and I imagine a damaged one--even if its surfaces are natural (which I don't think is the case here)--is also worth a few cents at most.
@airplanenut has given a very thorough and accurate answer, but all three answers as I type have been correct.
Unfortunately, these are obviously plated if you are familiar with what they should look like. The reprocessing of these cents was a big deal in the hobby in the 1960s and/or 1970s and they were sold in shops all over the country in little packets like this.
In honor of the memory of Cpl. Michael E. Thompson
Thank you for the information. I am new to coin collecting and I wasn’t sure!
Welcome. You will have access to many expert coin collectors on this site (I am not one of them). I am also a new collector, but have learned a bit. Feel free to post coins here and get opinions before you buy them. People will be happy to give opinions on the coins (always include close, cropped photos of the front (obverse) and back (reverse) of the coin.
Again - welcome to the hobby and the boards.
I am a newer collector (started April 2020), and I primarily focus on U.S. Half Cents and Type Coins. Early copper is my favorite.
Welcome to the forum.
If you have other coins you were thinking about getting graded it would be wise to show pictures of them here, first. If you had done that with your 1943 cents, you could have saved a fair mount of money.
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
Not sure of your motivation to get these coins graded, but next time come here first and ask the questions before you submit them.
Disclaimer: I'm not a dealer, trader, grader, investor or professional numismatist. I'm just a hobbyist. (To protect me but mostly you! 🤣 )
Welcome to the PCGS Forum!!! I don't think any of us were "sure" when we first started. There's a lot of knowledge around here, so don't hesitate to ask opinions. However, it helps to have a thick skin.
Best of luck with your collecting, and what started you on this journey?
You might like to get yourself a red book to help you as well 🙂
Welcome to the forum! Go Lady Hawkeyes basketball players!
Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.-Albert Einstein
Well, for these particular coins maybe stay away from the 2022 Redbook
(For those who aren't aware, the 2022 Redbook listed MS65's at a price wayyy too high.)
My advice for a new collector is to buy graded coins, don't try to "make them".
If you do buy ungraded coins, keep them ungraded. If you really want to grade a coin, use a dealer who can cull out ones that are not worth it.
Welcome to the forum- there's a lot of good information here for those willing to absorb it.
Collector, occasional seller
The other thing that occurs to me at a time like this is, how were they submitted for grading?
Newer collectors should proceed slowly before joining a TPG.
The red book will help later on, fwiw 🙂