likely what they'll want to do next is submit the coin to a third-party grading company who will then authenticate it and encapsulate it.
And, if of course, the coin is the rare 1943 copper cent, you'll be famous by Friday and you'll be able to earn a lot of money! However, I want you to know that I've been working at the American Numismatic Association for about 13 years now, and I've taken a lot of calls. And to my knowledge, not one of the calls that have been made to me concern a 1943 copper cent that was really as it was claimed to be. As a matter of fact, I'd like to think that the chances of you owning a 1943 cent is less than if you won the lottery, shot a hole-in-one, were struck by lightning and met Ringo Starr in a bowling alley all in one day. The chances of that happening are extremely rare, and so is the chance of you are owning a 1943 copper cent!
So, just to recap, 1943 cents were made out of steel. They have a particular color to them. They're silver looking. These are not rare coins at all. Over a billion of them were made. Number two, there are examples, but there are very few rare examples, of 1943 copper cents. There are lots of ways in which people have tried to masquerade '43 steel cents to appear as 1943 copper cents, and all you need to do is use a magnet to see if the coin is indeed a copper cent or not. And even if it is a copper cent, there's a good chance that the date on that coin has been altered.
Go to your local coin dealer and they will be able to set you straight.
This is Rod Gillis, Education Director at the American Numismatic Association, wishing you happy collecting.