1943/1943-S Steel Wheat Pennies!

Very nice! I like the steel cents a lot! They tell a real story about the situation in America at that time. My dad was born in 1943 and I bought him a full set of the 1943's for his birthday one year. It only cost me a few bucks, but it is one of his favorite items and he displays it in his office.

With a finish that shiny they are almost certainly reprocessed.

Well damn, I didnt even know "reprocessing" was a thing. I just starting collecting about a year ago and have focused mostly on quarters and Morgan dollars. But I Just did some research on it though and you're correct.

Heres some more pictures. Knowing about it now makes it painfully obvious. The rest of the book looks fine though and he only paid $6 for the whole thing. I have more steel ones I'll have to switch them out with.

Reprocessing steel cents became a very popular thing in the late 1950's and early 1960's.

I remember seeing advertisements (and trade offers) in Coin World where collectors could send in rusty steel cents and receive back shiny reprocessed cents that looked brand new. The cost was usually part of what you sent in.... something like for every roll sent in the reprocessor would keep 20% as his fee for reprocessing the coins.

It obviously worked cause those ads ran for years.

Over the years of acquiring many, many Whitman cent folders, I've found more than a few 'processed' steel cents.