1942 Penny ?
So I need to know about this penny is it from a collection or a limited run or ?
It's gold toned and mirror like I know my picture is not showing the beauty of it but any help would be great ty in advance oh and it's magnetic.
19 comments
jdbelt1960
·1 year agoI consider myself semi-experienced on coins meaning I just know where to go for questions. I recently bought a 1909 Indian Head Cent but the price was too cheap as to the value. I received and it is in at least AU condition possibly better and the weight of the coin is right. Too good of a deal to be true. I still have to take it to the pros for evaluation before adding it to my collection. Coins are tricky.
annadryl
·1 year agoAh yes, and you've also managed to find a few "error" coins. I get it.
I'm pretty sure this one's just been polished.
jdbelt1960
·1 year agoWell a lot of people think because a coin is old it must be valuable. Not True.
jdbelt1960
·1 year agoAccording to my 2025 RedBook of US coin prices the coin can be worth anywhere from $1 for MS63 (almost perfect) to $40 if it is a proof. Hard to tell by pictures and some people clean coins which damage the value.
idealgems1
·1 year agoTo me, it looks like someone gold plated a zinc/steel uncirculated cent.
mooncat_watches
·1 year agoThen they also altered the date because steel cents were only struck in 1943 IIRC
stephenmorgan
·1 year agoA few were struck in 1944, about 35 that are known about.
mmadigan
·1 year agoWhen you said gold color I thought of this experiment we used to do in Gen Ed chemistry
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/7FKOicBjYqs
meme6253
·1 year agoDid you try researching it on your own before coming here?, I just feel if someone is selling it they should know more about it, Coins are tricky you really need to know exactly what you have before posting it!
gurlcat
·1 year agoI would count asking for help from the Community as a form of research. But there is a category forum for this.
mooncat_watches
·1 year agoA 1942 copper clad penny should not be magnetic. A 1943 steel cent would (an effort to preserve copper needed for the war effort).
What degree of magnetism are we talking? Can the penny be suspended without falling or do you feel very weak attraction?
dirk12955
·1 year agoRegarding the above responses.
No record (That I'm aware of) of a 1942 cent on a steel planchet. Add in that the
color of the coin is wrong, It looks like copper.
I agree with the poster that was thinking a "Proof coin" at first glance.......
What would a Proof be worth not protected from wear and tear?
Can't tell from the pics.
gurlcat
·1 year agoA couple bucks at most. Don't take my word for it, look at comps.
stephenmorgan
·1 year agoIt looks like it could be a 1942 Proof Penny. They value varies but there are some listed for hundred of dollars. Value depends on condition and your seems to not be in any type of protection enclosure so the condition may not be rated as high.
Not sure about it being magnetic.
Look at these.
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=1942+proof+penny&_sacat=0&_from=R40&_sop=16
Is you camera lens scratch up or is the penny inside of a display case of some sort?
Unavailable member
·1 year agoTo me a penny is a penny. 1 cent. Google it.
Your images are blurry.
dirk12955
·1 year agoA 1942 cent that looks like that can be
well preserved and still looking like new
83 years after being minted.
A 1942 cent that looks like that after
83 years might have been heavily polished
at some point and now is worth about 2 cents.
Can't tell without seeing in person. Pics don't
answer the questions and blurry pics make it
even harder (Impossible) to do.
A 1942 (Philadelphia mint) cent has a mintage of almost 658,000,000 and are
not rare at all.
dirk12955
·1 year agoA 1942 cent should not be magnetic.
If it is, It's probably a fake. Impossible to imagine
anybody taking the time and effort to fake a 1942 cent.
richard1rst
·1 year agoThe 1943 penny was magnetic. It was made of zinc coated steel (not copper) due to war time shortages. If memory serves a few cooper ones were produced and they are super expensive. Maybe they just got the year wrong.
stephenmorgan
·1 year agoThere were a few 1944 steel pennies, about 35 that were made but I have not heard of a 1942 steel penny.