A 'Silver' Penny Pendant?

I couldn't resist wrapping one of these--i found a couple of beautiful ones at our local antique store and they are too pretty to just sit in a collection... Have you ever seen a silver penny? Well, it isn't actually silver, it is steel with a zinc coating.

This pendant has a 1943 war issue penny in it. One of the only U.S. coins that will stick to a magnet! Pennies were minted in steel/zinc to conserve copper for the war efforts. It is so pretty as a focal piece I can't believe I didn't think of it sooner! It has a mirror-like polish with a light rainbowing patina. Hard to capture on camera as it is so shiny.

I was motivated to find a few of these, in better shape than the ones in my old coin collection, after watching a clip on television about the cost of pennies....Pennies are actually worth more than a penny due to the elevation in copper prices. The government has banned melting them...who knew! Perhaps we'll see these silvery pennies again someday!

Be on the lookout for more coin pendants in our store--featuring Silver and bronze Roman Imperial coins...I have some beauties on their way to me! I can't wait! We have a gem show this weekend too! I hope we find some good stuff!! I love finding new toys to wrap and play with!