So two things here in this post. First thing: I found some 1944 pennies.
I suppose they look unremarkable, and they kind of are, but there is a neat story behind them.
If you read my post on the 1943 Steel Penny then you already know, but to sum it up: in 1943 the US penny switched from copper to steel because the military needed copper for the war effort. You can see the steel penny at the top of the photo.
It was a decent idea, but it just didn't work. It rusted very quickly, was easily confused with dimes, and didn't work in vending machines since it was lighter than then copper penny and magnetic.
So 1944 rolls around and the mint went back to the drawing board. They decided to return to copper, but copper was still in short supply, so they managed to secure copper recycled from the war, mainly shell cases, hence the nickname of this coin: The Shellcase penny. These shellcase pennies were minted from 1944 to 1946.
When they were new the recycled copper had a darker than normal look. But these aged ones mostly look the same as any aged copper. Some people say they have more vibrant toning, but I don't know. Do you see any vibrant toning on mine? I snuck in the 1960 penny, the Indian head penny, and (below) the large cent for comparison.
Anyway, that's the first thing. Again, nothing amazing, but still a pretty cool coin to have just from the history. A few steel 1944 cents did slip out and those are worth big bucks if you ever find one. I think only a handful are known to exist, so if you find one, take it to someone you trust and see if it's real!
Anyway, the second thing here is I just realized my new iPhone has a macro lens built in. Sweet!
Unfortunately I don't have great lighting in this room, so these shots are a little dark. I'll have to get some better light. But cool discover! That will mean better photos in the future.
Anyway, there you go. A cool coin, a cool history. The shellcase cents actually lasted until 1946 I think, Thoughts?
| David is an American teacher and translator lost in Japan, trying to capture the beauty of this country one photo at a time and searching for the perfect haiku. He blogs here and at laspina.org. Write him on Mastodon. |
