Editing 1943 steel cent (section)

== History ==
{{Further|1942 experimental cents}}
Due to wartime needs of [[copper]] for use in [[ammunition]] and other military equipment during [[World War II]], the [[United States Mint]] researched various ways to limit dependence and meet conservation goals on copper usage. After trying out several substitutes (ranging from other metals<ref name="USPatterns P2077" /> to plastics<ref name="USPatterns P2073" />) to replace the then-standard [[bronze]] alloy, the one-cent coin was minted in [[zinc]]-coated [[steel]]. This alloy caused the new coins to be magnetic and 13% lighter. They were struck at all three mints: [[Philadelphia Mint|Philadelphia]], [[Denver Mint|Denver]], and [[San Francisco Mint|San Francisco]]. As with the bronze cents, coins from the latter two sites have respectively "D" and "S" [[mintmark]]s below the date.

However, problems began to arise from the mintage. Freshly minted, they were often mistaken for [[Dime (United States coin)|dime]]s. Magnets in [[vending machine]]s (which took copper cents) placed to pick up steel [[slug (coin)|slug]]s also picked up the legitimate steel cents. Because the [[galvanization]] process did not cover the edges of the coins,{{why|date=March 2024}} sweat would quickly rust the metal. After public outcry, the Mint developed a process whereby salvaged brass shell casings were augmented with pure copper to produce an alloy close to the 1941–42 composition.  This was used for 1944–46-dated cents, after which the prewar composition was resumed. Although they continued to circulate into the 1960s, the mint collected large numbers of the 1943 cents and destroyed them.<ref name="Street Directory, 1943 Steel Cent" />

The steel cent is the only regular-issue United States coin that can be picked up with a magnet. The steel cent was also the only coin issued by the United States for circulation that does not contain any copper.<ref name="Headley about" /> (Even U.S. gold coins at various times contained from slightly over 2% copper to an eventual standard 10% copper to increase resistance to wear by making the pure gold coins slightly harder).<!--see [[crown gold]] for the whole story on that-->