A few 1943 bronze cents and 1944 steel cents are known to exist, and they are valuable. Facts about wheat pennies wheat pennies wheat pennies. The obverse or heads side was designed by victor david brenner, as was the original reverse, depicting two stalks of wheat thus wheat pennies, struck 19091958. June 1942 on the basis of ration books, although retailers were allowed from. During world war ii, the war effort required a lot of copper to make shell casings and munitions. It marks the comeback of lincoln cents from the 1943 steelies to the standard copper wheaties. If you find a 1943 or 1944 wheat penny, using a magnet to check its metal content is easy. By continuing to use this site you consent to the use of cookies on your device as described in our cookie policy unless you have disabled them. During world war ii, ration books were distributed to families by the office of price administration opa to help regulate food shortages as a result of the war. Details about 1944 lincoln wheat penny unique rare coin unique collectors coin penny. Examples were discovered after the war, with the first two in 1947, and another in 1958. Roosevelt suggested the addition of a native american war bonnet, stating. Between 1942 1947, the government issued four different series of ration books. Civilians first received ration bookswar ration book number one, or the sugar bookon 4 may 1942, through more than 100,000 schoolteachers, pta groups, and other volunteers 7.
I will do a part two for the food stamps taking it into 1944 as our research continues. In britain, during the first world war, 1914 to 1918, queues for food had become dangerously long. Food shortages and rationing ww2 spartacus educational. The melt value shown below is how valuable the coins metal. Critical goods were ration to american citizens using coupon books issued by the.
In all, 1944 steel cents are fewer in number than their 1943 copper counterparts. Rationing was introduced temporarily by the british government several times during the 20th century, during and immediately after a war at the start of the second world war in 1939, the united kingdom was importing 20 million long tons of food per year, including about 70% of its cheese and sugar, almost 80% of fruit and about 70% of cereals and fats. A bas relief panel on the world war ii memorial in washington, d. Any idea why it is so shiny, magnetic and has copper marks. Jan 28, 2020 the 1943 steel wheat penny was produced for one year during the second world war, due to the u. Steel will stick to the magnet, but copper will not. In 1944 there were 282,760,000 1944 s pennies minted in all. Ration stamps became a kind of currency with each family being issued a war ration book. They are wheat pennies from the world war ii era that are made from spent copper shell cases used for ammunition. We know that wheat pennies were minted from 1909 to 1958. The government produced around 1,435,400,000 of these pennies in 1944. At its 1944 peak, it was estimated that upwards of 209,200 victory gardens.
Discussion in paper money started by mpcusa, jul 11, 2016. The mint made millions of 1944 lincoln cents so why does. It was thought that even if japan does not fold now, the war will certainly be over before the books can be used. I am cited in this book as a provider of information on 1943 coppers and 1944 steel cents ny. Wheat pennies started in 1909 and lasted until 1958. The 1943 steel cent features the same victor david brenner design for the lincoln cent which had been in use since the first in 1909.
Once a persons ration stamps were used up for a month. What you need to know about rationing in the second world war. Find out here if its worth just a few cents, or if youve got a rare 1944 steel penny. Permission to publish material from the world war ii rationing stamps program must be obtained from the special collections manuscript curator andor the special collections department head. Each book required different identification and some were more detailed than others. The lincoln cent sometimes called the lincoln penny is a onecent coin that has been struck by the united states mint since 1909.
Oct 27, 2017 meat ration coupons were suspended in march, 1944 and then a second round of meat rationing was instigated in sept 1945. Civilians were not able to purchase tires during the war without showing a need in support of the war. The ubiquitous ration book would ultimately become the most vivid and lasting. The 1944 lincoln penny is scarce, which makes it valuable, but collectors and investors know the. It was not until the early 1950s that most commodities came off the ration. Why are 1943 copper and 1944 steel lincoln cent errors so. If your 1944 penny does not stick to a magnet, its made from copper and is common. This ration book belonged to luella runck of oxford, indiana. New to coin collecting do i have a rare quarter or not.
I have a 1944 d wheat penny with a couple things that are different from. This page also shows coins listed for sale so you can buy and sell. The coins grade determines its value to coin collectors. The unique composition of the coin lowgrade steel coated with zinc, instead of the previously 95%copperbased bronze composition has led to various nicknames, such as wartime cent, steel war penny, and steelie. It began by stockpiling sugar and wheat, while making preparations for a national rationing scheme. By the time the war broke out in september 1939 the british government had already been. The 1944 s wheat penny was minted in 1944 at the san francisco california mint. In 1944, the united states was embroiled in the bloody conflict of wwii. This article may feature affiliate links to amazon or other companies, and purchases made via these links may earn us a small commission at no additional.
The scheme involved the customer handing over her ration book and asking for. World war ii opa red point ration tokens wwii, rare mm. Meat was the last item to be derationed and food rationing ended completely in 1954. A ministry of food was created to help with the homefront food situation.
By this time canada was not only sending food for the troops but for prisoners of war, starving refugees from wartorn countries, and to alleviate britains worsening food position. Jan 31, 20 the small coins introduced in 1944 were used by retailers to give change back for food bought with ration stamps. United states mint in philadelphia a book that explores the colorful history of. Unfollow 1944 steel wheat penny to stop getting updates on your ebay feed. Bread, which was never rationed during wartime, was put on the ration in july 1946. Did you scroll all this way to get facts about war ration book. Top 154 books published in 1944 that people have added on goodreads. May 03, 2011 british shopkeeper cancelling coupons. The war ration stamps are very common and the demand for them in the collectors circle is not very high. The cherry pickers guide the official red book a guide. Unlike lincoln cents made from 1909 to 1942, which are 95 percent copper and 5 percent tin and zinc, lincoln cents from 1944, 1945, and. Of course this figure doesnt reflect the mint proofs that could have been minted that year at the san francisco mint and only includes the amount of 1944 s wheat pennies that were poured into circulation.
We use cookies to give you the best possible experience on our website. To participate in the forum you must log in or register. Each stamp was illustrated with a military symbol such as a naval ship, airplane, tank, gun, horn of plenty or torch of liberty, adding a patriotic flair. Beware, however, of regular 1922d cents which have had their d mintmarks worn off by unscrupulous types. Save penny 1944 steel to get email alerts and updates on your ebay feed. Although not necessary for survivalthough thats debatablecoffee has been a staple in the american diet since the boston tea party, and coffee rationing was extremely unpopular.
Food on the home front during the second world war wartime. While most pennies are only worth a few bucks, highly coveted ones might be sitting in your pocket or stuck somewhere in your couch cushions. The 1943 silver colored penny is a wartime coin issue made of steel and coated with zinc. It melted down spent casings left behind during combat and created a penny that circulated from 1944 to 1946. Eventually, the mint settled on using steel coated with zinc and. The items rationed included canned goods, meats, sugar, coffee, tires, gas and more. Before the second world war started britain imported about 55 million tons of food a.
Meat rationing in world war ii the british columbia food. Governments determination that copper should be diverted towards the war effort. Why are 1943 copper and 1944 steel lincoln cent errors so valuable. Lincoln cent 19091958 collectors folder warmans collector coin folders warmans on.
The 1944 lincoln penny is particularly desirable in the eyes of collectors not only because of its design, but also due to its scarcity. No matter what youre looking for or where you are in the world, our global marketplace of sellers can help you find unique and affordable options. We would like to show you a description here but the site wont allow us. On august 15, 1945, world war ii gas rationing was ended on the west coast of the united states. The lincoln cent is a onecent coin that has been struck by the united states mint since 1909. During world war ii, the war effort required a lot of copper to make shell casings.
In 1943 the penny was made out of zinc plated steel to save copper for the war effort which is why most 1943 pennies are silver colored. Every american was issued a series of ration books during the war. Its really easy to tell if you have a 1944 steel penny or 1944 copper cent. According to the calculator, if your bonds are the series e bonds that were used to finance world war ii, theyre worth at least. Jun 02, 20 what is the value of war ration book no. Rationing was a fact of life during world war ii, and americans. Rationing of processed foods started march 1st, 1943. War time coinage was produced by the millions, it was commonplace to find nothing but war coins in. Jun 28, 2012 i got a 1944 wheat penny from a store then i looked at it carefully and noticed that under the year it had a d. This glass penny, manufactured in the 1940s during a copper. It is interesting to note that some cookbooks published during the war featured sugarless recipes so home cooks could more easily comply with the rationing program. A total of 6 different war ration books were issued from 1942 to 1945. The government also produced a few steel wheat pennies in 1944 by mistake.
State delaware 1944 wheat mint minor aging good shape very good condition. If you happen to find a wheat penny in your possession, it would be worth checking the date against the list before spending it. Ration book four was printed in red, blue and green. What is the value of war ration book four with stamps inside. April 1943 united states office of war information, overseas picture division. A person could not buy a rationed item without also giving the grocer the right ration stamp. Answered by a verified antique expert we use cookies to give you the best possible experience on our website. Etsy is the home to thousands of handmade, vintage, and oneofakind products and gifts related to your search. The most common war ration book material is cotton.
Responding to the public outcry during a time of rations, officials in the u. The value of those particular coins are almost priceless. The 1943 steel wheat penny was produced for one year during the second world war, due to the u. The first card, war ration card number one, became known as the sugar book, for one of the. Ration book four also introduced red and blue cardboard tokens, each valued at onepoint, to be used as change for ration coupon purchases. This meant planning meals carefully, being creative with menus, and not wasting food. Unsearched wheat penny roll wsilver mercury dime end old us coin shotgun lot mixed years circulated vintage collector. It will limit their purchases of sugar beginnning around the middle of march to 12 ounces per individual per week. As early as 1944, wheat pennies were again made mostly of copper, but any minted in 1943 would have been brought into circulation by accident. Ask anyone who remembers life on the home front during world war ii about their strongest memories and chances are they will tell. Once a persons ration stamps were used up for a month, she couldnt buy any more of that type of food.
With the pending capitulation of japan, the printing of ration books for 1946 was halted by the opa on august, 1945. In 1942 rationing had started for sugar, gasoline and other goods. Citizens had to put up with blackouts, raid sirens, rationing and shortages, but they needed good and usable coinage, and something they would not stand for was the substandard quality of the then new steel pennies of 1943. Lets delve deeper into this wheat head to know its real value. Hello, tanya if your 1944 lincoln cent sticks to a magnet, the next step in verifying its authenticity is to weigh the coin. The paper stubs, or stamps, in each ration book purchased rationed consumer goods and foods. The above photo are blue ration stamps from a real war ration book number two. Unfollow world war 2 ration books to stop getting updates on your ebay feed. If it didnt have magnetic attraction i would guess it was a fake from what i have been reading. A coin with moderate wear but whose design is legible is likely to be graded as fine worth 9 cents. Both the obverse and the reverse were designed by victor david brenner a new york sculptor. More than 8,000 ration boards across the country administered the program.
Lincoln cent 19091958 collectors folder warmans collector coin folders. One of the more inexpensive pennies is the 1944 wheat penny. The ration books contained removable stamps good for certain rationed items, like sugar, meat, cooking oil, and canned goods. Home page ration book search why war ration book no. Another test you can conduct on your 1944 pennies is to weigh them. I tried my 1943 steel penny on the magnet and it has a stronger attraction that the 1944 one and the 1944 one is very shiny compared to the 1943 one. Each stamp authorized a purchase of rationed goods in the quantity and time designated, and the book guaranteed each family its fair share of goods made scarce, thanks to the war. Unfollow 1944 penny to stop getting updates on your ebay feed. If your 1944 penny sticks to a magnet, its a steel cent and is rare. A continuing thread post your recent tokens, medals, exonumia acquisition. By 1944, however, it was decided that the benefits gained from this substitution were not significant enough to warrant the effort, and so copper penny production. Special relics from wwii, lincoln shell case pennies have a direct connection to the international conflict that spanned from 1939 through 1945. Government printing office in 1943 for use during world war 2.