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Discussing the 1943 Copper Lincoln Cent
March 8, 1999
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Bubba:
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Hey Zemo, what's up with the 1943 Copper Cent.
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Zemo:
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I have not seen a written report yet on the 1943-D Copper Cent that was supposedly spent in error recently (was it somewhere in Montana?), just heard a couple snippits on TV. My first question would be how do we KNOW that the coin that was spent WAS an actual copper 1943 cent?
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Bubba:
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Obviously, it wasn't certified, and I've got a strong feeling this whole hullabaloo is over a copper-plated 1943-D zinc-coated steel cent.
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Zemo:
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As I say, I have not read anything on it as yet, so this is just speculation, but it seems to me that if ANYONE had a coin that was worth "$500,000" they would be a durn fool to leave it anywhere where it could be picked up and spent!
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Bubba:
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That's why God created safety deposit boxes!
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Zemo:
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I DO know, however, that every coin shop here in the Atlanta area is getting deluged with phone calls (about 25 per hour in the one I was in yesterday!), and I'd bet an off-center Brasher Doubloon that it's the same story all over the country.
Bubba:
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Looking at the positive side, the publicity can only help the hobby, unless bad press develops from some hothead that HAS a plated coin and takes it to a dealer who tells him what it really is and he gets frosted because he feels the dealer is "trying to rip him off"!
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Zemo:
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Wouldn't it be a hoot if a couple REAL copper 1943 cents DID surface as a result of all this?
Bubba:
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Boy, what a SHOT IN THE ARM THAT would be!
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Zemo:
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I don't know if that is likely to happen though, I think there are only about 15 known. Some reports say that 40-50 were actually minted. An extra fine specimen is fair market valued at $22,000 and could go as high as the Superior specimen of $80,000, which was auctioned a couple of years ago.
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Bubba:
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Anyway, let's sit tight and see what develops on this one....film at 11!
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