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The Amount of Steel in U.S. Coins

As of 2010, only one coin in the history of the United States mint contained steel, the 1943 steel penny. Modern coins are made out of a composition of copper and nickel or, in the penny's case, copper-plated zinc.

1943 Penny
- World War II was in full effect in 1943 and because copper was needed for the war effort, the composition of the penny was changed to steel-coated zinc. Pennies of this year have a distinct whitish-silver coloring and tend to be sought-after collector pieces.
1944 to 1946
- After 1943, the U.S. mint returned to using copper to mint pennies. However, in order to continue preserving copper for the war, they used spent copper shell casings to mint the pennies. After 1946, the penny went back to being minted with regular copper.
Canadian Dime
- Since 2000, the Canadian dime has been minted with 92 percent steel. Although it is not American coinage, Canadian dimes are relatively common in America, and they are the most common circulated steel coinage in America.

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