1943 Lincoln Cent. MS-68+ (PCGS). CAC. The collector seeking the finest in technical quality and eye appeal in an example of the historic steel cent type of 1943 need look no further than this gorgeous Superb Gem. Silky smooth surfaces are free of even the most trivial blemishes. Highly lustrous, both sides are fully endowed with lively satin to softly frosted mint luster. Fully struck with a bright, fresh appearance, this virtually perfect example is sure to have no difficulty finding its way into a high ranked Lincoln cent collection on the PCGS Set Registry. Also a strong candidate for inclusion in a world class type set, we expect spirited bidding for this offering from many quarters.<p>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 Philadelphia produced the most at 684,628,670 pieces. Unfortunately, the two metals employed (zinc and steel) 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. In the end this novel, yet problematic metallic composition was only used in 1943, creating a one-year type (the famous off-metal strikings of the date notwithstanding). Today, steel cents are among the best known of all Lincoln cents and have been popular with collectors since the time of issue. While readily available in Mint State, most display the aforementioned spotting, marring what would otherwise be high quality surfaces. Interestingly, the 1943 is rarer than the 1943-D and 1943-S in the finest Mint State grades, despite the fact that the two branch mint issues have considerably lower mintages (217,660,000 and 191,550,000 coins, respectively). Indeed, a quick perusal of our auction archives will confirm that the typical MS-68 for this type offered in todays market is a product of the Denver or San Francisco facility. We offered a somewhat subdued PCGS MS-68 for the 1943 in our March 2020 Auction, and our most recent offering for a similarly graded example of this Philadelphia Mint issue prior to that was back in 2012. As both the MS-68+ grade from PCGS and the coveted CAC sticker suggest, this coin is far finer that both of those other examples, and it is sure to fetch a strong price commensurate with its awesome rarity and breathtaking beauty.
