The doubling is visible on the letters and numbers almost entirely, with the bust of Lincoln remaining unaffected. In 1955, 20,000 to 24,000 doubled die pennies were released to the public, mostly as change given from cigarette vending machines. You may think you’re experiencing blurred vision if you come across a doubled die penny, but it’s really just a case of slightly askew alignment during the minting process that results in a doubled image. Real 1943 copper pennies can go for up to $10,000, but be warned: There are plenty of fakes floating around.
Very few of them ever left the facility, so the ones that did are worth-well, a pretty penny. However, it also accidentally made a copper batch. Mint made pennies out of steel, then coated them in zinc for extra shine. It’s a little counterintuitive to think of a copper penny as an oddity, but it certainly was in 1943, when copper was needed for the war effort. Some rare coins, including these 15, can be worth a nice chunk of change. You may want to sift through your change jar before you head to the bank to cash it in.
