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Why did the US stop using copper pennies and start using zinc pennies?
Wiki User
∙ 13y ago
The price of the copper used to make a penny cost more than a penny.
Wiki User
∙ 13y ago
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Why did the us stop making pennies out of copper?
Due to the rising price of copper, pennies were worth more than face value.
When did they stop making pure copper pennies?
Pennies were never PURE copper. Those made before 1982 were 95% copper with 5% zinc (or zinc with tin in older ones).
When did U.S. pennies stop being all copper?
1857, unless you're referring to Lincoln pennies, which were only 95% copper until 1982 when they were changed to zinc.
When did they stop making solid copper pennies?
Solid copper pennies were last minted in 1857 and were much larger than today's penny. Pennies were made mostly of copper until mid-1982, when the composition was changed to 97.5% zinc with a plating of 2.5% copper. The only exception was in 1943 when wartime copper shortages forced the Mint to make pennies out of scrap steel. Bronze cents were resumed the next year, 1944.
When did pennies stop being coper?
1982 although they are still coated with copper the inside is now zinc
When did pennies stop being all copper?
1860 The last copper pennies were made in England, and the same year the first bronze pennies were made.
Why did the pennies stop being made of copper?
copper is too expensive and limited.
Why did the us stop making pennies out of copper?
Due to the rising price of copper, pennies were worth more than face value.
Why did the US stop using copper to mint pennies from 1941 1945?
Probably because of their impending involvement in WWII. They will have needed it '...for the war effort...'
When did they stop making pure copper pennies?
Pennies were never PURE copper. Those made before 1982 were 95% copper with 5% zinc (or zinc with tin in older ones).
When did U.S. pennies stop being all copper?
1857, unless you're referring to Lincoln pennies, which were only 95% copper until 1982 when they were changed to zinc.
What year during world war 2 did they stop making copper pennies?
1943-45
When did they stop making solid copper pennies?
Solid copper pennies were last minted in 1857 and were much larger than today's penny. Pennies were made mostly of copper until mid-1982, when the composition was changed to 97.5% zinc with a plating of 2.5% copper. The only exception was in 1943 when wartime copper shortages forced the Mint to make pennies out of scrap steel. Bronze cents were resumed the next year, 1944.
When did pennies stop being coper?
1982 although they are still coated with copper the inside is now zinc
Why did they stop making pennies out of copper?
The US made pennies of copper (95%) in 1941 and 1942, and partially from old shell casings in 1944 and 1945 (so the copper content may have been slightly lower in those years). Only in 1943 were pennies made of steel (with a zinc coating) in an effort to save copper for use in the war effort. Probably because they needed copper for the world war 2 effort. ww2 the need for wiring in the military Short answer: The US was using all the coper for munitions used for WWII. copper was required for the war effort i.e. to make electrical cables
When did they stop making pennies with copper?
US Pennies were made of 95% copper (with the exception of the 1943 steel cent) from 1864-1982. Midway through 1982, the cent switched to copper plated zinc. So any penny dated 1983-present is just copper plated zinc. However a coin dated 1982 could either be 95% copper or copper plated zinc. A copper coin should weigh about 3.11 grams while the zinc pennies are lighter at about 2.5 grams.
When did the us stop making copper pennies?
They stopped making copper pennies in 1982. There are some 1982 pennies that are 95% copper and some that are not. 1983 pennies that are 95% exist but are rare and are collectors items.While the above statement would seem to be correct, it is, however, not completely true. The U.S. has never stopped making copper pennies, or pennies with some copper content, except in 1943, when they were made of a low-grade carbon steel and coated with zinc (having a grey color); this change was due to the need for copper and brass during World War II. These 1943 wartime pennies are commonly referred to as "steel" pennies. They contain NO copper...More correctly, 1982 was the last mint year for 95% copper cents. Since mid-1982, the newest (current, as of 2012) composition for U.S. one-cent coins ("pennies") has an inner core alloy of 99.2% zinc with 0.8% copper, with the coin balance as an outer plating of pure copper, for a total coin composition of 97.5% zinc and 2.5% copper. These current pennies are commonly called "zinc pennies", due to their heavy-majority zinc content, even though they do still contain some copper. The composition of U.S. pennies from mid-1864 to mid-1982 was an alloy of 95% copper with either 5% tin-and-zinc ("bronze" pennies) or 5% zinc ("brass" pennies). Before that, the composition was an alloy of 88% copper with 12% nickel from mid-1857 to mid-1864 (the only time any U.S. pennies ever contained nickel), and, initially, from 1793 to mid-1857, the first U.S. pennies were made of pure (100%) copper.Since the first U.S. one-cent coins in 1793, U.S. pennies have always contained at least some copper, except, again, in the singular case of the year 1943, the so-called "steel" pennies.Therefore, the most correct answer to the question is either:(1) the U.S. has never stopped making copper pennies, except in 1943; or(2) 1943 is the only year the U.S. stopped making copper pennies, or any pennies with NO copper in them.Hope this helps!
