Over the last eight decades these coins have regularly appeared in the press — each time triggering nationwide searches for the next 1943 copper cent. Almost all new “discoveries” turn out to be counterfeits or cases of mistaken identity. This example was discovered by a collector as they searched through rolls of old cents and kept for decades in their collection, which was passed down in the family until it was revealed to the numismatic hobby in 2013. This coin is unique as it is the only 1943 Cent that has been given the “Red” designation by any grading service, which is why it was purchased for over $1 million in 2017.

Bronze 1943 cents are highly ranked in listings of regular U.S. coins and error coins. Their fame has resulted in being listed both in 100 Greatest U.S. Error Coins by Nicholas P. Brown, David J. Camire and Fred Weinberg (2010), where it occupies the Number 4 position, and in 100 Greatest U.S. Coins by Jeff Garrett and Ron Guth (2014), where it is listed as Number 11. One of approximately 15 examples known, this coin is part of “The Dazzling Rarities Collection.”

1943 CENT IN PUBLICITY

The 1943 “copper pennies” have appeared in a vast array of magazine, comic book and popular press advertisements for decades. These ads enticed readers to buy coin catalogs with headlines such as “$10,000 Reward for This Penny!” or “I’ll Pay You $9,785.01 for This Penny!” during the 1960s and 1970s. Some companies took genuine 1943 zinc-coated steel cents and copper-plated them to sell for 69 cents each as novelty items: “Fool Your Friends! 1943 Copper Cents! The Penny That Never Was!”