1943 U.S. Wartime Year Set — Walking Liberty Half, Washington Quarter, Mercury Dime, Jefferson Nickel & Steel Cent

A five-coin 1943 year set covering the full denomination range, housed in a screw-together acrylic holder with original box. The lineup: a Walking Liberty half dollar (90% silver, Adolph Weinman's 1916 design widely considered among the finest in U.S. coinage history); a Washington quarter struck at San Francisco (S mint mark, 90% silver); a Mercury dime (90% silver, Weinman again — the same designer responsible for both the half and the dime); a Jefferson nickel struck at San Francisco with the wartime 35% silver alloy (56% copper / 35% silver / 9% manganese, identifiable by the oversized S mint mark repositioned above Monticello on the reverse); and the Lincoln steel cent — the zinc-coated steel one-year-only issue coined when copper was redirected to shell casings and field wire.

1943 is one of the most compositionally distinctive years in U.S. circulation coinage. Three denominations struck in silver, one denomination temporarily re-alloyed with silver to conserve nickel for armor plating, and a cent that rang wrong in every vending machine in the country — all from a single calendar year. The wartime nickel's silver content is recoverable (the large mint mark was the Treasury's way of flagging them for eventual reclamation), and the steel cent's gray surfaces tell the rest of the story. Sets assembled across all five denominations from a single year are a natural collecting target for type and date collectors alike.

CONDITION

Very Good to Very Good Plus overall. The half dollar and quarter display bright surfaces with strong design detail and light peripheral toning; the Mercury dime is similarly bright. The Jefferson nickel shows moderate toning concentrated at the obverse center. The steel cent presents expected gray surfaces with minor mottling on the reverse — characteristic of the alloy and not unusual for circulated examples. Acrylic holder is intact with light surface marks; original box included.

DIMENSIONS / SPECIFICATIONS

• 5 coins, all dated 1943
• Half Dollar — Walking Liberty; 90% silver, 10% copper; 12.50 g; 30.6 mm
• Quarter — Washington; 90% silver, 10% copper; 6.25 g; 24.3 mm; S mint mark
• Dime — Mercury; 90% silver, 10% copper; 2.50 g; 17.9 mm;
• Nickel — Jefferson; 56% copper, 35% silver, 9% manganese (wartime alloy); 5.00 g; 21.2 mm; S mint mark (large, above Monticello)
• Cent — Lincoln; zinc-coated steel; 2.70 g; 19.0 mm
• Housed in screw-together acrylic holder with original box