Expert: Jim Lawniczak - 1/7/2007

Question
Jim,

In 2004, this question was posted and replied to (please see following).  Have you heard of such since?  I have found a 1963 steel penny as well, and it's not an overstrike.  I'm very curious since I'm not the only person to find one.  Thanks in advance!

"Question -
My daughter said that she had steel penny, what I presumed she had was a 1943 steel penny.  She brought it out to me and lo and behold it was stamped 1963.  This is an actual penny, not a good luck piece or anything like that.  It is an honest to goodness steel penny. Don't know if it was misstamped or what.  have you seen or heard of something like this?  I am curious to know.  Any and all help you maybe able to provide would be greatly appreciated.  Thank you for your time.
                  Sincerely
                Mark R. Timblin
Answer -
Hello, Mark, sorry can't tell without seeing it, but I don't think there is much chance that a blank steel planchet was still sitting around at the mint in 1963 so that the piece could be a genuine mint product (but there's always that one in a trillion chance!).  My best guess is that someone took a 1943 cent and altered the 4 to a 6.  You may want to get a genuine 1943 cent and compare how the "1" "9" and "3" are formed on the genuine and see if your piece is identical.  The only way to be sure what you have is to take it to an expert.  Jim Lawniczak "

Answer
Hello, Clint, what I said back then is still true.  The U.S. mint only made steel cents in one year -- 1943.  None were made in 1963.  I have never heard of a 1963 genuine minted steel cent.  I can't imagine that it happened (a steel planchet would have had to get in the hoppers in 1963 and been missed by the quality control people), although again it is remotely possible.  Check to be sure the piece really is steel (use a magnet), maybe someone coated a normal 1963 copper cent.  Or someone altered a 1943 cent (can be done by carving like techniques).