HomeAuctionsFamous Bronze 1943 Lincoln Cent in Stack's Bowers Nov. Showcase Auction

Famous Bronze 1943 Lincoln Cent in Stack’s Bowers Nov. Showcase Auction

Famous Bronze 1943 Lincoln Cent in Stack's Bowers Nov. Showcase Auction

By James McCartneySenior Numismatist, Stack’s Bowers ……
The Bronze 1943 Lincoln cent is perhaps the most famous Mint Error to ever emerge from the United States Mint. Just about 20 distinct examples are known from the Philadelphia Mint and they are highly prized at all grade levels. When the U.S. mints switched to zinc-coated steel planchets in 1943, it is supposed that a small number of bronze planchets from 1942 were somehow caught up in the folds of the delivery carts. These blank planchets worked their way loose and were fed through the presses along with the new steel cent planchets, creating this famous rarity.

The standard alloy for bronze planchets leading up to the change to steel was 95% copper, 5% tin and zinc. The steel planchets used in regular production required greater striking pressure to execute the designs, so these softer bronze planchets are typically very sharply struck, particularly since they would theoretically have been produced at the beginning of 1943 when the dies were fresh.

Offered in the Stack’s Bowers November 2020 Showcase Auction is a desirable and newly-available specimen of this famous 20th-century rarity.

Attractive despite the light cleaning noted by NGC, the surfaces are evenly glossy, free from distracting areas of brightness, and have with pleasing shades of caramel and olive-brown. The usual softness is noted at O of ONE and AM of AMERICA, but the devices are otherwise sharp. Magnification reveals hairline scratches behind Lincoln’s head and a few marks at the right obverse rim, but these are largely not noticeable without magnification.

This specimen was first discovered in 1976 in the gumball machine of a restaurant located across the street from the Philadelphia Mint. The owner of the restaurant then offered it to a local butcher who advertised as a coin buyer in the window of his shop. The butcher purchased it for $1,000 once it had been authenticated by ANACS in November 1976, and he subsequently brought it to our staff at Stack’s Rare Coins in New York City for additional confirmation. Over the following decades, the coin was passed down to the butcher’s children, who elected to have it certified by NGC in February 2019 with the help of Mitch Battino at Hudson Rare Coins. It is now available at public auction for the first time ever and will surely draw considerable attention from Mint Error and Lincoln cent specialists!

This sharp Bronze Lincoln cent will be offered in our November 2020 Showcase Auction, appearing alongside rarities from the Larry H. Miller Collection, the E. Pluribus Unum Collection, the Larry Ness Collection, the Monterrey Collection, the Abigail Collection, and many other significant cabinets.

The sale will be available for viewing and bidding on our website StacksBowers.com or you can contact our offices to secure your copy of the printed catalogs at [email protected] and 800-566-2580.

Stack's Bowers
Stack's Bowershttps://stacksbowers.com/
Stack's Bowers Galleries conducts live, internet, and specialized auctions of rare U.S. and world coins and currency and ancient coins, as well as direct sales through retail and wholesale channels. The company's 90-year legacy includes the cataloging and sale of many of the most valuable United States coin and currency collections to ever cross an auction block — The D. Brent Pogue Collection, The John J. Ford, Jr. Collection, The Louis E. Eliasberg, Sr. Collection, The Harry W. Bass, Jr. Collection, The Joel R. Anderson Collection, The Norweb Collection, The Cardinal Collection, The Sydney F. Martin Collection, and The Battle Born Collection — to name just a few. World coin and currency collections include The Pinnacle Collection, The Louis E. Eliasberg, Sr. Collection of World Gold Coins, The Kroisos Collection, The Alicia and Sidney Belzberg Collection, The Salton Collection, The Wa She Wong Collection, and The Thos. H. Law Collection. The company is headquartered in Costa Mesa, California with galleries in New York, Boston, and Philadelphia. Offices are also located in New Hampshire, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Virginia, Hong Kong, Paris, and Vancouver.

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5 COMMENTS

    • I have the same.. maybe their not as rare as they think I have the 1940 thru the 46 consecutive does that make it comprehensive or just dumb luck.. I would love to show these and get them in the hands of a true collector as I have no one to pass them on to. And much older ones… Ive enjoyed the race for my wheeties as much as my marbles. Maybe it’s time to sell.. thanks … Tina Brooks Tennessee

  1. Are they for sale ?
    Are you looking or know of anyone who might be interested in the Lincoln penny wheat stock area with only the steel 1943. Completing the set.

  2. I have plenty of pennies. I’ve been collecting them all my life and continue to this day. Although, I prefer circulated coins. That way its more like winning the lottery. When I’ve received change from a purchase immediately I find myself looking to see what treasures unfold. Ask me for something specific and if I have it I’d gladly sell to whom ever is interested.

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