DOES RARITY OVERRIDE CONDITION?

As Josh stated in the community timeline:

"A 1943-S bronze cent, even in corroded condition or a very low grade, would still be worth several thousands of dollars. The best way to verify that you have the real deal is to weigh it -- it should weigh around 3.11 grams -- and make sure it does NOT stick to a magnet. If it does, it's made from steel and is worth 5 to 10 cents in poor condition. Sometimes the "3" and the "8" are confused by some people; on 1943 cents, the tail of the "3" is extra long.

Please post any photos of your 1943 cent here and we'll be glad to help you verify it."

AND YOUR OPINION IS?

Hi, Scott --

This is unfortunately not a 1943 copper cent. Compare a 1943 steel cent and this piece side-by-side and you'll see that several design elements in the date numerals don't match up. Namely, there is no tail on the fourth digit where the "3" would be; 1943 Lincoln cents, both steel and bronze, share the similar long-tail "3" style, and on your piece the fourth digit is very compact. The third digit, meanwhile, is a "1." Upon careful zooming, this actually looks like a 1918-D Lincoln cent. In this condition, it would be worth somewhere around 5, maybe 10 cents.

Best wishes,
Josh