1944 Steel Cent Authenticity
Numismaphile
Posts: 45 ✭✭
Trying to help a fellow collector. I would like to know whether any of you can confidently rule out authenticity of this 1944-S steel. It's the right weight and sticks to a magnet. My guess is the last digit is altered but invite confirmation. Thank you.
Best Answers
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pcgsregistrycollector
Posts: 1,447 ✭✭✭✭✭
From what I see based off of the pictures, the coin looks date altered and coated with steel.
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FredWeinberg
Posts: 5,925 ✭✭✭✭✭
Plated, at a minimum….and as mentioned, probably altered.
Not a genuine Steel cent error,imoRetired 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 2022.1 -
JWP
Posts: 26,488 ✭✭✭✭✭
I sent a 1944 cent in for grading and it was returned ungraded due to being plated.
Sometimes these are are hard to tell if they are plated.
It cost me a $20 gradimg fee.USN & USAF retired 1971-1993
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Answers
You need better pics than that.
Thanks, I realize they are not great. I am already concluding the last digit is too high, and the surface is porous; we think someone altered a 1943 and then plated it to brighten it up.
The steel planchets used by the US Mint to strike the 1943 cents were zinc plated steel so the subject altered date cent was probably zinc plated to hide the alteration and to give it a uniform color.
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"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
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Plated copper is nonmagnetic, or at most weakly magnetic. I can't think of a situation where it would be hard to tell if a copper example was plated.
Thank you everyone, on behalf of the poor fellow who paid $300 for this. We are helping him get a refund.