1943-P LINCOLN WHEAT CENT PENNY GREAT COLLECTOR COIN GIFT *90221

The 1943 silver-colored penny is a WW2 wartime coin issue made of steel and coated with zinc.
During World War II, the war effort required a lot of copper to make shell casings and munitions. In 1943 the penny was made out of zinc-plated steel to save copper for the war effort which is why most 1943 pennies are silver colored.

The metal was not the only commodity that was critical to the war effort. American citizens were asked to conserve food such as sugar, meat, cooking oil, and canned goods. Critical goods were ration to American citizens using coupon books issued by the government. Most critical of all was gasoline.