How to Find a 1943-D Bronze Lincoln Cent

The 1943-D bronze Lincoln cent is unique—the only known example of a 1943 bronze cent bearing the Denver mint mark, and one of the most valuable error coins in American numismatics. It sold for a record $1.7 million through Legend Numismatics.

GetCoinHunt helps you search inventory from multiple coin dealers in one place and create a wishlist alert. For a coin this singular, that alert exists mainly to flag any claimed listing for serious scrutiny.

What makes the 1943-D bronze cent historically significant?

To conserve copper for the war effort during World War II, the Mint switched the Lincoln cent’s composition for 1943 to zinc-coated steel across all three mints—Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco. A small number of bronze planchets left over from 1942 production apparently remained in the presses or bins at each facility and were struck with 1943 dies by mistake, creating the famous 1943 bronze cent error. Fewer than 20 such coins are estimated to be known from Philadelphia and San Francisco combined—rare, but not unique.

The Denver Mint’s contribution to that error story is different: only one 1943-D bronze cent has ever been confirmed, and researchers have suggested its origin may not have been a pure accident in the same way as the Philadelphia and San Francisco examples—some have proposed it was deliberately struck and kept by a Denver Mint employee rather than slipping through by chance, though the coin’s precise origin has never been definitively documented. Per PCGS CoinFacts, the coin was reportedly not publicly known to the hobby until decades after it was struck. Certified PCGS MS64BN, it sold for $1.7 million through Legend Numismatics of Lincroft, New Jersey, setting a record for the variety.

How to evaluate a claimed 1943-D bronze cent

Understand there is only one

With a single confirmed example and a well-documented recent sale history, any coin presented as a second genuine 1943-D bronze cent should be treated as almost certainly not genuine, or confused with the more numerous (though still rare) Philadelphia and San Francisco 1943 bronze cents.

Weigh it first

For any 1943-dated cent with a “D” mint mark that seems unusually heavy or coppery in color, weigh it on a scale accurate to 0.01 gram. A genuine bronze cent weighs close to 3.11 grams; the ordinary 1943 steel cent weighs close to 2.7 grams and is magnetic, which a bronze cent is not. Many “1943 copper cents” offered informally turn out to be ordinary steel cents that have been copper-plated, or 1948 cents with the “8” altered to look like a “3”—both should fail a simple weight and magnet test.

Insist on certification and provenance

Given the coin’s extraordinary value and uniqueness, only a certified example from a major grading service, with a verifiable, documented ownership history, should be considered credible.

Suggested search terms and filters

A search for “1943-D bronze cent” in ordinary dealer inventory should be expected to return no genuine results—only one confirmed example exists, and its documented sale history is public record.

Availability and pricing notes

The coin’s most recent confirmed sale was $1.7 million through Legend Numismatics. This is not a coin found through routine dealer browsing, and any future sale would almost certainly be a notable event in the numismatic press.

How the GetCoinHunt wishlist alert works

1. Search for the coin to confirm nothing questionable is currently listed.
2. Add it to your wishlist so you’re notified if a legitimate offering is ever detected.
3. Treat any match with serious scrutiny, and if you believe you’ve found a candidate 1943-D bronze cent yourself, weigh it, test it with a magnet, and have it authenticated by a major grading service before assuming it’s genuine.

Frequently asked questions

How many 1943-D bronze cents exist?

Only one confirmed example. Per PCGS CoinFacts, it was not publicly known to the hobby until decades after it was struck.

How is this different from the Philadelphia or San Francisco 1943 bronze cents?

Those are also genuine wartime errors, with fewer than 20 examples estimated between the two mints combined—rare, but not unique like the single Denver example.

How do I check if a 1943 cent might be a genuine bronze error?

Weigh it (about 3.11 grams for bronze versus about 2.7 grams for the ordinary steel cent) and test it with a magnet—steel cents are magnetic, bronze cents are not. Many claimed examples turn out to be plated steel cents or altered 1948 cents.

What did the 1943-D bronze cent sell for?

$1.7 million, through Legend Numismatics—a record for a 1943 bronze cent of any mint.

Can I realistically buy a 1943-D bronze cent?

Only if the single known example is offered again. It is not a coin available through ordinary dealer inventory.

Looking to buy or check current prices for this coin?Search it on CoinHunt →