1943 Lincoln Steel Pennies Mint Uncirculated, Deal Includes Six (6) Steel Pennies, see photos. The 1943 Lincoln steel penny is one of the most distinctive and historically significant coins ever produced by the United States Mint, serving as a tangible artifact of World War II home-front conservation. With copper urgently needed for military communications and ammunition, the U.S. government temporarily suspended the penny's standard 95% copper composition. Instead, the Mint struck over one billion pennies using a low-carbon steel core coated with a thin layer of protective zinc, giving them a bright, silvery-gray appearance that frequently led to confusion with dimes and nickels.