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1943 Steel cent with weak 4 in the date

What do you know about a 1943 P steel Lincoln that has a very weakly struck 4 in the date? I have a nice UNC one but have not been able to find anything regarding this coin, even if is a recognized variety. Any help is appreciated.
--Craig

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  • Walkerguy21DWalkerguy21D Posts: 11,624 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I recall seeing some of these - having had ~90 rolls of steel cents at one time, probably
    not surprising I guess.
    I assumed it was a simple (probably grease) filled die, and worth no premium as such.
    But maybe someone else can enlighten both of us.

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  • FredWeinbergFredWeinberg Posts: 5,913 ✭✭✭✭✭
    It's a very common 'filled die'

    (Not a variety)

    ......an interesting conversation piece, but that's
    About all it is.....fun to find, but more exist than
    There are collectors of them.

    Hope this helps....

    Retired Collector & Dealer in Major Mint Error Coins & Currency since the 1960's.Co-Author of Whitman's "100 Greatest U.S. Mint Error Coins", and the Error Coin Encyclopedia, Vols., III & IV. Retired Authenticator for Major Mint Errors for PCGS. A 50+ Year PNG Member.A full-time numismatist since 1972, retired in 2022.
  • rickoricko Posts: 98,724 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Yep, I have a couple.... have not checked my roll of '43's, but I kept those two just as

    novelties... Cheers, RickO
  • errormavenerrormaven Posts: 1,170 ✭✭✭
    I see these all the time and from all three mints (Philadelphia, Denver, San Francisco). The great puzzle is why this particular digit is so often the site of a filled die error. I don't know of any other feature on any other coin that is repeatedly affected to the exclusion of nearby features. Ken Potter has been scratching his head over this pattern for years. If anybody here can offer an explanation, please do so.
    Mike Diamond is an error coin writer and researcher. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those held by any organization I am a member of.
  • BillJonesBillJones Posts: 34,674 ✭✭✭✭✭
    When I was young numismatist in the 1960s, I set aside every steel cent that I found in circulation. A fair number of them had missing or weak numbers in the date. It is not unusual to find steel cents with that feature.

    Steel is much harder than bronze. I've never seen any statistics, but I would guess that the mints went through more dies in 1943 relative to the mintages than it did in the previous and succeeding years. Striking issues like this are more often found on the steel cents.
    Retired dealer and avid collector of U.S. type coins, 19th century presidential campaign medalets and selected medals. In recent years I have been working on a set of British coins - at least one coin from each king or queen who issued pieces that are collectible. I am also collecting at least one coin for each Roman emperor from Julius Caesar to ... ?
  • Walkerguy21DWalkerguy21D Posts: 11,624 ✭✭✭✭✭
    but I would guess that the mints went through more dies in 1943 relative to the mintages than it did in the previous and succeeding years.

    I recall long ago forum member Stone was doing some kind of study on die cuds on steel cents.
    I sent him one gratas that had a pretty substantial cud on the reverse.



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  • 3sidesofsilver3sidesofsilver Posts: 281 ✭✭✭
    Thank you to all. Much appreciated and enlightening. As a side note, the coin has a bluish tint over the entire obv and rev surfaces; perhaps that is another feature of zinc coated steel cents...
    --Craig

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