Nearly all circulating pennies in 1943 were struck in zinc-coated steel because copper and nickel were needed for the Allied war effort. Only 40 copper-alloy cents are known to remain in existence. Coin experts speculate that they were struck by accident when copper-alloy 1-cent blanks remained in the press hopper when production began on the new steel pennies. The coin in this photo is a fake created by applying a copper plating to a zinc-coated steel 1943 penny.