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1944
| Weight | 3.11 g |
| Diameter | 19 mm |
| Mint | Philadelphia |
| Strike | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 1,435,400,000 |
| Edge | Plain |
| Alignment | ↑↓ Coin |
| Composition | 95% Copper, 5% Tin & Zinc |
| Melt value | — |
| Designer | Victor D. Brenner |
| Collector's Key ID | CK-545 |
Collection
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The 1944 Lincoln cent from Philadelphia returned to a copper-based composition after the single year of steel in 1943. The new alloy was not the pre-war bronze (95% copper, 5% tin/zinc) but recycled brass from spent shell casings: approximately 95% copper and 5% zinc, without the tin. The shell-casing composition gave the 1944 cents a slightly different color than pre-1943 bronze cents, often described as a more golden or brassy tone. The Mint was recycling war material into coinage, a practical solution that served both the military (which needed new shell casings) and the Mint (which needed cent planchets).
The 1944 Philadelphia mintage exceeded 1.4 billion coins. The cent had returned to its familiar copper color, and the public was glad to see the back of the steel cents. The 1944 is extremely common in all grades.
Reference data only — not an appraisal.
| Grade | Description | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| G-4 | Good (G) | — | — |
| VG-8 | Very Good (VG) | — | — |
| F-12 | Fine (F) | $0.05 | $0.05 |
| VF-20 | Very Fine (VF) | $0.10 | $0.10 |
| EF-40 | Extremely Fine (EF) | $0.15 | $0.20 |
| AU-50 | About Uncirculated (AU) | $0.30 | $0.30 |
| MS-60 | Uncirculated (MS) | $0.80 | $0.95 |
| MS-63 | Choice Uncirculated (MS) | $5.50 | $5.50 |
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What is the melt value of a 1944 Lincoln Wheat Cent?
Is the 1944 Lincoln Wheat Cent a key date?
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