A closer look
In 1943, the U.S. war machine realized it was severely lacking the copper needed for ammunition and communications wiring. Instead of halting production of the country's most useless coin, the Mint decided to strike pennies out of zinc-coated steel. These magnetic abominations rusted easily and were constantly mistaken for dimes, making them universally despised by the public. The experiment was scrapped after one year, making the steel penny a weird, oxidized testament to wartime rationing.
