| Author |
 Replies: 13 / Views: 12,809 |
|
|
Valued Member
United States
284 Posts |
I have a set of 1943 zinc plated steel pennies in a case. There are 5 pennies in the case, all from the Philadelphia mint. They all look absolutely pristine except for one which has a bit of oxide on it (like a fingerprint). The only identification on the case is "Copyright UPM, 1993".
I read that some steel pennies have been replated to give a new look and some are just plain fakes. Is there any way to tell if these coins are genuine?
Thanks! :-)
-- Boris
|
|
|
|
Moderator
 United States
6563 Posts |
Some are genuine that have been heavily polished. Normally if it's behind glass then I'll pass
One of the best ways to tell is to weigh it if you have the option to
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
1083 Posts |
Gazillions of these pennies have been replated and marketed by the mail order coin business as a set in the past. They are probably replated, but genuine. Picture?
|
|
Valued Member
 United States
284 Posts |
|
|
Moderator
United States
6563 Posts |
I have one of those loverly sets. I'm 99.76% sure they are plated
Sadly these types of poorly slabbed assortments are sold constantly and they aren't worth anything more then face...and sometimes melt value when they are silver coins
|
|
Valued Member
United States
164 Posts |
I'll go with replated on those. The genuine ones do not have a shiny look necessarily. If they are shiny, then the original mint luster is visible. As they toned, they acquired an almost matte look and are a medium gray color. It is hard to put into words, but if you place a replated/polished coin next to a genuine one, the difference is obvious. This is if they are originally uncirculated.
Circulated steel cents are a different animal. I have seen perfectly acceptable circulated ones, but for the most part they did not hold up well, and circulated ones are awful in appearence.
Edited by rohumpy
12/31/2008 05:09 am
|
|
Moderator
 United States
16677 Posts |
Quote:
Gazillions of these pennies have been replated and marketed by the mail order coin business as a set in the past. They are probably replated, but genuine. Picture?  . Millions upon millions minted. Extremely common date. Replated as these coins starting at the VF range, tend to turn an undesirable medium to dark grey with wear. Beware! Almost worthless. swcoin.ecrater.com
|
|
Bedrock of the Community
United States
14454 Posts |
the one sure fire way to tell for sure is to look at the edge, if it has a dull looking edge then they are original, if the shiny finish is on the edge just like on the Obverse and Reverse then they have been replated
|
|
Moderator
United States
187702 Posts |
The steel was zinc plated before the blanks were punched, so originals would have no zinc coating on the edges. |
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
1179 Posts |
So would they replate these steelies even if there seems to be no wear whatsoever? I mean I have a few that have zero wear but I almost bet they are replated. So, does replating these eliminate wear or something and bring back the orginal strike look?  They are a bit shiny, but not that bad. I keep wanting to believe they are original and I have some gems, but I doubt it  |
|
Valued Member
United States
122 Posts |
This is a very helpful thread, and timely, too. I have a BU 1943 for sale on ebay right now. I just checked the coin carefully and it is original. If not, I would have notified them. I will watch out for this in the future. Thanks to all for the important information. We learn something every day. |
|
Valued Member
United States
311 Posts |
My photography skills are weak, but I find it interesting that my three steelies each have a distinctly different tone...  I also got a set from a guy on ebay that looked okay in the auction photos, but looked almost like they'd been chromed once I got them... then I've got another 43-P that I swear was just spray-painted silver... |
|
Bedrock of the Community
United States
19931 Posts |
You have to be SUPER careful buying 43's! I wouldn't buy one over the internet unless it's a well-trusted dealer or slabbed.
Lincoln Cent Lover!VERDI-CARE™ INVENTOR https://verdi.care/
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
4541 Posts |
i would say they need to look more like this   Edited by daviscfad
01/04/2009 12:26 am
|
| |
Replies: 13 / Views: 12,809 |
|
Posted 12/31/2008 12:28 am
