Steel Pennies For Dummies

1943-S Steel Penny

Here at the Antisocial Network, we have a simple rule: if someone asks you how to do something stupid, right up front you tell them, "That's stupid!" After that, it's up to you: if you think they've been properly informed, you can go ahead and tell them – but you gotta tell 'em that it's not a good idea (and preferably why). Of course, that presupposes that you, yourself, know it's stupid, a supposition that clearly didn't fit foodie Tucker Cummings when she attempted to branch into numismatics with "How to Clean Steel Pennies" at OurPastimes.com.

It's pretty clear that Cummings zeroed in on the "steel" part of the question. Had she paid equal attention to the "pennies" part of the question, she might have learned that, "...coin collectors prefer coins with natural color." Nonetheless, Tucker marched up to the podium and told her readers,

"If you need to clean steel pennies in your coin collection, you have a few options."

Ummm, no, Tucker, this is bull:

"...if you plan on mounting and displaying your steel pennies, you will want to clean them..."

You do not want to

• "Rub a small amount of cleaner (such as Soft Scrub or Lime-a-Way) onto the penny. Buff with a chamois cloth or toothbrush, or with a Dremel tool using the softest buffing attachment and slowest speed." or
• "...try immersing the penny in an electrolytic bath..."

And even though Cummings apparently thinks it's possible to hold onto steel pennies until they become mint condition again, the fact is that a circulated 1943 steel Lincoln head cent will never be worth more than about twenty cents... The basic truth? If you have a "steel" penny, about the only thing you should do is rinse it with distilled water, let it dry, and store it. Then you won't be a Dumbass of the Day.

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