1944-1946 Cartridge Penny question

[AJupstateNY]

Greetings,
Just got a folder Abraham Lincoln Cents 1909-2010, and was working on filling it, when
I notice spaces for 1944-1946 "Cartridge Case" cent. Check Red book about these coins,
but unable to tell; where ALL 1944-1946 pennies "Cartridge Case" and if not anyway to
tell apart? I see weight and size the same, and it says color was a little different in
the Uncirculated grades?

Thanks

 

[monindou]

All Lincoln cents minted between 1944 through 1946 where made from (an alloy) of melted spent military cartridge cases - rifle, pistol, and artillery. With that said, there is an extremely rare version of the 1944 cent that was made from zinc coated steel (the same blank as used to make the 1943 steel penny).

The color difference mentioned in Red Book can be see on both BU (brilliant uncirculated) cents and ground dug cents. Normally BU copper cents have a shiny copper color and the cartridge alloy cents - at least the ones I have - are a bit darker. The ground dug cartridge cents, at least in my area of USA, come out of the ground with same scaling/corrosion as do spent rifle cartridges and are easy to identify as ww2 cents where as cents dated prior to '43 and after '47 and before the change in '82 come out of the ground looking like "normal" ground dug cents.

With this said, even though the alloys are supposed to be the same, a lot of the pre-1920 cents I dig come out of the ground with the same green patina as the Indian pennies I dig. I know the ground conditions and chemical interactions differ from place to place however I always know that when I dig a wheat-back greeny without looking at the date it's pre-1920 always.

-
DM

 

[AJupstateNY]

Monindou,

Sir, thank you for your answer, question answered.


I did just read a story on the 1944-S Steel, and I would be relaxing on a Florida
beach and not stuck in the middle of this snow storm we are now having if I had
that coin!

AJ

 

[JOHNMARKHAM]

yes that one would be a great find..

 

[marcomo]

All Lincoln cents minted between 1944 through 1946 where made from (an alloy) of melted spent military cartridge cases - rifle, pistol, and artillery. With that said, there is an extremely rare version of the 1944 cent that was made from zinc coated steel (the same blank as used to make the 1943 steel penny).

The color difference mentioned in Red Book can be see on both BU (brilliant uncirculated) cents and ground dug cents. Normally BU copper cents have a shiny copper color and the cartridge alloy cents - at least the ones I have - are a bit darker. The ground dug cartridge cents, at least in my area of USA, come out of the ground with same scaling/corrosion as do spent rifle cartridges and are easy to identify as ww2 cents where as cents dated prior to '43 and after '47 and before the change in '82 come out of the ground looking like "normal" ground dug cents.

With this said, even though the alloys are supposed to be the same, a lot of the pre-1920 cents I dig come out of the ground with the same green patina as the Indian pennies I dig. I know the ground conditions and chemical interactions differ from place to place however I always know that when I dig a wheat-back greeny without looking at the date it's pre-1920 always.

-
DM

Good info, DM. Thank you!

I've noticed the same thing with the early wheaties, I can usually tell an early one immediately when it comes out of the ground without looking at the date. Like you, I've read that the alloys are the same, but I question that. The difference seems to be more than just from additional time in the ground.