1943 1c NGC XF Details (Bronze, Obverse Scratched)

Photo Credit: David Lawrence

Regarded as the most famous of all mint errors, the 1943 copper cent is a true rarity. All 1943 cents were supposed to have been struck in zinc-coated steel to conserve copper during World War II; however, some mistakes were made at the Philadelphia, San Francisco and Denver mints and some 1943 copper cent examples went into circulation.This particular piece was found in a gumball machine in Philadelphia in 1976 and was sold to a collector for the then-impressive sum of $1,000. It was passed down to the collector's children who submitted it to NGC for grading through Hudson Rare Coins.