Care and feeding instructions for 1943 cents.

**GrumpyEd** · 03-27-2020, 08:06 PM

The filled 4s are really common on these, I see a lot with a ghost S as well.
No idea if it was grease as most folks say or if it had to do with being steel.
Google "1943 cent weak 4" or "1943 cent missing 4" and there are pages of posts about them.

The zinc is very reactive, any moisture and they go bad. I've seen stories of people putting high grade slabbed ones in a sealed container with desiccant in safety deposit boxes and took them out years later and they were ruined. I've seen paper OBWs where they were all ruined and others that had gems so I guess it's all the conditions they were stored in.

Here's a video of the Penny Lady talking about them and notice the first comment below it is about the weak 4s.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLB9j64D520

**jfines69** · 03-28-2020, 02:39 AM

About the only think I can think of is store them on the moon

Since that's not feasible I don't know of anything that would be 100% effective against the corrosion??? Zinc is a sacrificial metal that degrades before the steel does... When zinc gets to a certain level it has to be replaced... Doing that on a steelie lowers its' value... I do not know if verdi care would work on the steel cents but it does work excellently on the coppers... Maybe BadThad will chime in and give us some info???

**GrumpyEd** · 03-28-2020, 02:36 PM

Originally posted by jfines69

About the only think I can think of is store them on the moon

Since that's not feasible I don't know of anything that would be 100% effective against the corrosion??? Zinc is a sacrificial metal that degrades before the steel does... When zinc gets to a certain level it has to be replaced... Doing that on a steelie lowers its' value... I do not know if verdi care would work on the steel cents but it does work excellently on the coppers... Maybe BadThad will chime in and give us some info???

I have 3 unc rolls that I put in tubes PDS and they are staying the same after a few decades. No spots at all.

**jfines69** · 03-29-2020, 02:59 AM

Originally posted by GrumpyEd

I have 3 unc rolls that I put in tubes PDS and they are staying the same after a few decades. No spots at all.

I totally forgot about your tubes... Thanks for chiming in!!!

**BadThad** · 03-29-2020, 05:48 PM

These have been saved in abundance. Any coins with corrosion are goners IMO. I like to put them in circulation for others to get excited about it when they find them.

If you have a lot of coins worth saving, the best route is a tube, I like the square plastic ones. I piece of electrical tape around the lid seal is very effective protection for full rolls. Put a bunch of those rolls into a gallon ziplock bag with a desiccant pack and your good for decades. GOOD LUCK!

**jfines69** · 03-30-2020, 02:45 AM

Originally posted by BadThad

These have been saved in abundance. Any coins with corrosion are goners IMO. I like to put them in circulation for others to get excited about it when they find them.

If you have a lot of coins worth saving, the best route is a tube, I like the square plastic ones. I piece of electrical tape around the lid seal is very effective protection for full rolls. Put a bunch of those rolls into a gallon ziplock bag with a desiccant pack and your good for decades. GOOD LUCK!

Thanks for chiming in... I appreciate it!!!

**styxman** · 03-30-2020, 02:59 PM

Thank you very much for all your help. I have 43 steel cents – almost all inherited from my father’s collection. Maybe 10 are worth saving. I really like the idea of BadThad of returning the corroded ones to circulation. However, I believe I am going to give them away to the “kids” in the neighborhood.

Per GrumpyEd and BadThad, I will obtain a square plastic storage tube for cents. As I will keep only 10 or so coins, my thoughts are to fill the tube with desiccant “pellets” I get with some of my medications and top the tube off with the 1943 cents, sealing with the electrical tape.

Thanks again for the great ideas and taking time to reply! I hope the cents will be in good condition for my sons.

**GrumpyEd** · 03-30-2020, 07:41 PM

As I will keep only 10 or so coins, my thoughts are to fill the tube with desiccant “pellets” I get with some of my medications and top the tube off with the 1943 cents, sealing with the electrical tape.

I think a full tube is safer, I make sure the tube is tight so no rattling and less air even if I have to add coins. Be sure they are all uncs and I'm not sure mixing copper with steels is ok or not.
I also keep some short tubes, they did make 25 coin plastic tubes but all of mine came from buying rolls, I've never seen the shorties for sale but they do exist. Also, they made the really thin plastic tubes with a cap on both ends, you can cut them to any length needed but agaim, never seem them sold only got them buying rolls.

**styxman** · 03-31-2020, 10:08 AM

Thanks GrumpyEd. The tubes I ordered from Amazon (Coinsafe Brand Square White Plastic) hold 50 coins. Should I hold on to all 43 steel cents to help fill up a tube? Maybe I should make a solid rod of 4140 steel that would fit snugly into the tubes (forcing as much air out as possible) leaving just enough room for the 10 good coins? Please let me know what you think. Thanks!

Jim, you are just an outstanding Moderator with all your encouragements and gratitude! No post is complete without Smiling Joe Cool and his waving LOL! flag. It is a joy to see your work - thanks.

PS, The replacement for the replacement computer from Dell (they have been very reasonable) is suppose to arrive soon. I will see if it crashes when creating a post.

Over and out, Styxman

**kloccwork419** · 03-31-2020, 10:17 AM

Ill never buy from Dell ever again.

**GrumpyEd** · 03-31-2020, 01:00 PM

Thanks GrumpyEd. The tubes I ordered from Amazon (Coinsafe Brand Square White Plastic) hold 50 coins. Should I hold on to all 43 steel cents to help fill up a tube? Maybe I should make a solid rod of 4140 steel that would fit snugly into the tubes (forcing as much air out as possible) leaving just enough room for the 10 good coins? Please let me know what you think. Thanks!

The square tubes are good. I'm not sure what spacer to use, I avoid spacers.

I can't find a source for the soft tubes you can cut and put the cap wherever you need. I don't know what they were made of but it was soft (so you might think PVC) but they never mess up coins and are very air tight. Maybe you can find some if you buy old cent rolls. They are best for partial rolls, just cut to fit.

This thread has a pic of one on top, but no answer on how to get them. The poster was looking for more of them:

Just a moment...

https://www.coincommunity.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=305872

**jfines69** · 03-31-2020, 01:41 PM

Originally posted by styxman

Thanks GrumpyEd. The tubes I ordered from Amazon (Coinsafe Brand Square White Plastic) hold 50 coins. Should I hold on to all 43 steel cents to help fill up a tube? Maybe I should make a solid rod of 4140 steel that would fit snugly into the tubes (forcing as much air out as possible) leaving just enough room for the 10 good coins? Please let me know what you think. Thanks!

Jim, you are just an outstanding Moderator with all your encouragements and gratitude! No post is complete without Smiling Joe Cool and his waving LOL! flag. It is a joy to see your work - thanks.

PS, The replacement for the replacement computer from Dell (they have been very reasonable) is suppose to arrive soon. I will see if it crashes when creating a post.

Over and out, Styxman

Only problem I see with using the steel rod is weight... even with a snug fit if the roll gets bounced around to much it could damage the rim of the coins??? Some folks have had issues with tubes that were to tight... They were not able to get the coins out... I do not remember the entire conversation but it is on here some where... They had to come up with some clever ways to get the coins out without damage... Nice to know some one thinks I'm a good moderator

Always glad to help out... Hope your replacement dell works good... I had a toshiba that kept crashing when I would upload pics... Turned out I had fried the graphics card

**styxman** · 04-01-2020, 02:44 PM

Jim, I love fried graphic card – especially with a little saut�ed mouse! Based on an earlier comment you made about burned out video card, I spent considerable time choosing a replacement card. I hope I made the correct call. The URL that GrumpyEd posted to some photos of soft plastic coin storage tubes is followed by a discussion of people having trouble getting coins out of these tubes. You are correct in that some extremes are taken to separate cents from tube. Looked hard for something that might work and found some clear soft plastic tubes from Uline (https://www.uline.com/BL_3651/Clear-Plastic-Tubes) but this seems a bit much for 10 coins. Thanks again for everyone help! (kloccwork419 – I hear you loud and clear!)
Over and out, Styxman

**GrumpyEd** · 04-01-2020, 08:22 PM

The URL that GrumpyEd posted to some photos of soft plastic coin storage tubes is followed by a discussion of people having trouble getting coins out of these tubes.

Those other posters were going off track.
The one in the top pic that I say you can cut, they are soft and flexible. Similar to the "Air Tight" capsules that hold one coin but they're tubes. You can cut to length with scissors, the ends pop on.

The hard to get out talk was about hard plastic tubes.

Care and feeding instructions for 1943 cents.

Care and feeding instructions for 1943 cents.

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