1943 - Lincoln Cent - War Alloy

This is a 1943 U.S. Lincoln Cent in the zinc-coated steel "War Alloy".
Due to a shortage of copper during the critical war year 1943, the Treasury Department resorted to the issue of zinc-coated steel cents instead of the normal bronze alloy. - 1943 cents were minted at all three mints (1943 no mintmark = Philadelphia; "D" mintmark = Denver; "S" mintmark = San Francisco) - in total there were over a billion zinc cents minted in 1943, about 70% being minted at the Philadelphia Mint. - The same minting dies were used so there was no change to the Lincoln Head design on the obverse, nor to the "wheatback" reverse design. - Bronze alloy resumed in 1944. - This specimen is in Uncirculated condition.