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They're not quite pure copper, but rather an alloy of 95% copper and 5% zinc. Pure copper would have been a bit too soft and would wear too much in daily use.
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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.
What is the value of a 1983 US copper penny?
A 1983 Lincoln cent is actually copper plated zinc, 1982 was the last year for copper pennies. It's just a penny.
When did the stop making the copper pennies?
1982. Since then pennies have been mostly zinc with just a little copper.As the immediate above statement includes the word copper as part of the answer, which part is, in fact, true, then 1982 is not the answer to the question after all...If the "the(y)" part of the question above refers to the U.S., the U.S. government, or the U.S. Mint, then 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". 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 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 for 1943, when they were made of a low-grade carbon steel and coated with zinc, having a grey color, due to the need for copper and brass during World War II. These are commonly referred to as "steel" pennies (they contain NO copper)...Therefore, the most correct answer to the question is either:(1) "they" (the U.S.) have never stopped making copper pennies, except in 1943; or(2) 1943 is the only year the U.S. stopped making copper pennies, or made pennies with NO copper in them.Hope this helps!
What is the price of copper pennies before the year 1982?
The value of the metal is between 2 and 3 US cents (about 2.5 cents) But it varies as copper changes value. I do not believe it is legal to "melt down" a penny(s) for the metal and make the additional profit off of it, because this could be construed as defacing money. I have heard that since the government/banks are trying to remove the pennies from circulation they have been deemed something like "recalled" type status and this disables them from stopping someone from doing such things, but I am not sure which research Is correct, so it may be a gray area. I would recommend looking into the laws before trying something like that, but just collecting the copper pennies can not be deterred by anyone so maybe one day when copper is not "legal tender" anymore and it is worth a whole lot more, you might be glad you kept the pre-1982 copper pennies!
How and when did pennies start being made of zinc and copper instead of just copper?
It turns out that the solid copper U.S. cent was minted from 1793 to 1837. After that, it was "mostly" copper, and the other metals included in the alloy varied a bit from time to time. It was in 1982 that the big change occurred and the copper content of the cent was cut to the 2.5% copper used in the plating. Hey, why not surf on over to the Wikipedia post on the U.S. cent and look at the handy table showing what was in the penny at different times in history? Oh, and you'll need a link. We've got one for you, and you'll find it below.
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.
What is the value of a 1983 US copper penny?
A 1983 Lincoln cent is actually copper plated zinc, 1982 was the last year for copper pennies. It's just a penny.
Do new pennies still have copper in them?
pennies these days are not completely made of copper they are just dipped in copper giving them that finished look
When did the stop making the copper pennies?
1982. Since then pennies have been mostly zinc with just a little copper.As the immediate above statement includes the word copper as part of the answer, which part is, in fact, true, then 1982 is not the answer to the question after all...If the "the(y)" part of the question above refers to the U.S., the U.S. government, or the U.S. Mint, then 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". 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 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 for 1943, when they were made of a low-grade carbon steel and coated with zinc, having a grey color, due to the need for copper and brass during World War II. These are commonly referred to as "steel" pennies (they contain NO copper)...Therefore, the most correct answer to the question is either:(1) "they" (the U.S.) have never stopped making copper pennies, except in 1943; or(2) 1943 is the only year the U.S. stopped making copper pennies, or made pennies with NO copper in them.Hope this helps!
How much is a 1993 D zinc penny worth?
From 1982 to date all Lincoln pennies are copper plated zinc, the 1993-D is just a penny.
How does pennies get rusted?
Pennies are made of zinc and other alloys with a copper coating, pennies made before 1964(or around this year) they were made of just copper. What you see on a penny is not rust but corrosion of the copper coating.
Are 1965 pennies worth more than regular pennies in 2012?
Yes and no. Yes, they are technically worth about 2.2 cents in copper value (pre-1982 pennies are 95% copper, post-1982 pennies are mostly zinc and are worth about half a cent in zinc scrap) but they are illegal to melt down and as such you will have a hard time finding someone to buy them. 1965 pennies are not rare by any stretch and as such you should just spend it like any other penny. Unless the penny has an error (or you have a /lot/ of copper cents to sell to someone, or if the penny is in mint packaging) if it has a memorial on the back of the coin, simply spend it.
Why are there so many different types of 1982 pennies and how do you tell them apart?
Between changing the composition of the US one-cent coin (often referred to as a "penny," even though the word has never appeared on the US coin) and experimenting with the size of the date, there are 7 different types of 1982 pennies: * 1982 copper, small date * 1982-D copper, small date * 1982 copper, large date * 1982-D copper, large date * 1982 copper-plated zinc * 1982-D copper-plated zinc * 1982-S copper proof It's easy to tell between the different mint marks; just look below the date. The plated zinc cents are slightly lighter, and don't give the distinctive "ring" of a copper (actually a copper-zinc alloy) cent. The only way to tell between the date sizes is to study pictures of the two, and notice the distinctions in how they look. Note that there was only one proof type, minted only in San Francisco.
How much is a 1989 cent worth?
...1 cent. Pennies made after 1982 no longer have much copper in them and the actual bullion value of them is less than one cent. There are no rare Lincoln memorial pennies except for errors.
What were pennies made of in 1959?
Pennies were made of pure copper until 1975, because it costed more than 100 pennies just to make a penny.
A 1995 penny has a mass of 2.489g How much copper is in this penny?
Very, very little. All pennies made since 1982 (some 1982 coins are made out of a 95% copper bronze alloy, others are copper-plated zinc) are copper plated zinc and only contain a very small amount of copper. Since this isn't an alloy and it wears off during use, it really isn't possible to calculate just how much copper is in there, but suffice to say it isn't much at all.
What is the composition of a 1984 penny?
In 1982, the composition of pennies was changed from almost all copper, to almost all zinc, with a thin outer layer of copper. If the coin blank does not get its outer copper layer, the zinc will remain exposed, and it will look just like one of the 1943 steel cents -- which are actually coated with zinc.
