The 1943 Bronze Lincoln Cent remains one of the most legendary error coins in American history — a rare accident born out of the pressures of World War II. While the U.S. Mint had shifted to producing zinc-coated steel cents to conserve copper for the war effort, a small number of bronze planchets from 1942 were accidentally left in the machinery.

The result was a handful of 1943 cents struck in bronze instead of steel.

When the first examples quietly appeared in circulation in 1947, they immediately captured the public’s imagination. Stories spread quickly, and fascination with the coin grew almost overnight — a curiosity that collectors have sustained for more than seven decades.

For numismatists, the coin is a treasure: Lincoln’s familiar profile in bold relief, paired with the soft patina and natural wear expected from a coin that somehow survived unnoticed in everyday commerce. Its rarity, wartime origin, and accidental creation have all contributed to its iconic status.