Your Opinion on this 1943 Copper Cent.

joefro

What are your opinions about this 1943 Copper Cent. Obviously it isn't going to be real, but in what manner was this fake made? Is this a retooled date or something? The 4 looks a little strange to me. Thanks for your opinions.

Editted to add: I have no connection or affiliation with this auction at all.

PerryHall

Most are copper plated 1943 steel cents. A magnet will pick them up. Some are real 1948 cents with the left side of the 8 tooled to make a 3.

nwcs

Altered from a real date.

MikeInFL

The 4 in the date looks altered....Mike

edited to add: The seller agrees "I've studied it under the 16X magnifier and believe that if it is a forgery, which it probably is, its pretty good."

joefro

PerryHall: Yes I agree, in the description the seller states that this coin is NOT attracted to magnets.

Therefore, this leads me to initially suspect a 1948 as well, tooled to make the 8 look like a three. However, the 3 on this one looked really good to me.

MikeNFL and I agree that it is the 4 in this date that looks tooled. This is what got me thinking because the reverse IS of course a wheatie. Therefore, if the 4 is altered than this could only have been a 1913, 1923, 1933 or 1953. I dont think any of these third digits even closely resemble a 4. You would have to add on a bit of metal to make a 1 into a 4.

Anyways, my point in making this post was to hear people's opinions on how this particular fake was made, if it indeed is not just a copper plated steel or tooled 48. As the seller says, even under a 16x it is a good fake.

ldhair

Can't be a 1913 with initials on shoulder. That leaves 23, 33 & 53.

cheezhed

The vertical line making up the back of the 4 is not straight.

Also, the seller states what he says is the weight, "This is an interesting coin. It weighs 3.11 grams.".

Does anyone know the correct weight of a bronze (1944) war penny and a copper "normal" penny?

joefro

Good point ldhair, I should have known that

cheezhed: Red Book states:



<< <i>1943 - Weight 2.70 grams; 1944-1962 Weight 3.11 grams >>

richbeat

1923 and 1933 cents have tail-less 3's, so I doubt it's either of those. The 3 may or may not have been messed with, certainly not like the 4. I'm leaning toward not, and think that it is an altered 1953.

Deadhorse

Looking at that "4", my guess is that it's a re-tooled 23.

Still, it's a pretty good job. A little better work on that 4 and it might have passed as the real deal. Ya never know, I just wonder how many copper '43s that have been certified are actually retooled? A skilled jeweler can do some remarkable things.

Methinks the number might surprise a few of us.

ldhair

Some pics for the fun of it.

Shamika

Strange. I can only recall the 1953 having this style of 3, and yet changing a 5 to a 4 would be very difficult. I'm puzzled.

bhartman35

Maybe we're looking at this the wrong way. Could the 3rd digit have been removed completely and then entirely new metal put on on top of it? Given the information we have about the weight, it seems likely that it's a 1953 cent, but since it would be relatively difficult to retool a 5 into a 4, my guess is that the 5 was removed completely and a 4 added on top of it (the way that people sometimes add mintmarks).

mr1931S

poorly done forgery...misshapen "4" was likely added after "5" planed off.

carl

Then there is always the possibility that it is a realy 43 Copper Cent.
Just badly beaten so appears fake. With modern machinery, I wonder how difficult it would be to actually start making coins like that.