1943-S Lincoln Cent. MS-68 (PCGS). CAC. Both sides are fully struck and have nearly pristine surfaces with a lively satin texture. This is a gorgeous example of this popular one year composition type in the Lincoln cent series, an issue that is rare when graded so high.The entry of the United States into the Second World War shifted the focus of the American economy toward the war effort. The production of Lincoln cents consumed a substantial quantity of copper, a valuable strategic metal in the production of ammunition, especially shell casings. The Treasury Department experimented with several different alternative compositions, including aluminum, plastic, pressed fiber (a material already being used in the production of coal scrip and OPA ration tokens), and even various forms of glass. Ultimately, zinc-coated steel was selected and all three mint facilities got to work coining hundreds of millions of steel cents, of which San Francisco produced the fewest at 191,550,000 pieces. Unfortunately, the two metals employed reacted with one another, especially in damp or humid environments, which caused the coins to quickly discolor, form spots of zinc corrosion, and even rust. The composition was only used in 1943, creating a one-year type (the well known off-metal strikings notwithstanding) and the coins were quietly withdrawn from circulation. Today, steel cents are among the best known of all Lincoln cents and have been popular ever since. While readily available in Mint State, most tend to have spotting, marring what would otherwise be pristine surfaces. A careful collector, Mr. Pogue obtained among the very finest of the type, a specimen with a proven track record in specialist Registry Sets, first in the Ron Bozarth Registry Collection and then the Jack Lee Estate Lincoln Cent Registry Set. From Heritages sale of the Ron Bozarth Registry Collection, January 2006 FUN Signature Auction, lot 69; Heritages sale of the Jack Lee Estate Lincoln Cent Registry Set, December 2008 Houston, TX Signature Auction, lot 242.
