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Because you asked this in the US currency section, I guess you are really talking about the one cent piece. This is sometimes called a penny because it is roughly the same size, shape, and colour as a one new penny. This used to be made of pure copper, but is now made of copper-plated zinc, so if you file away the coating, you will see the zinc inside.
Wiki User
∙ 15y ago
Wiki User
∙ 12y agoThey don't. Modern pennies are actually mostly zinc, then coated in copper. Pennies used to be 95% copper, but were switched to zinc when copper prices caused the penny to be worth more than face value. They use a copper coating so that they kept the same color and appearance.
Wiki User
∙ 14y agoRecent ones are made mainly of zinc with about 2.5% copper. The change happened in 1982 (from 1962 to 1982, they were mainly copper with about 5% zinc; before that they also contained tin).
Wiki User
∙ 12y agoyes 95.7% of a penny is zinc
Wiki User
∙ 11y agoCopper
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What are you S Pennies made of?
Pennies today are made of 97.5% zinc and 2.5% copper.
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.
What is the outside of pennies coated with?
US pennies (since 1982) have been made of zinc (97.5%) with a thin layer of copper (2.5%) outside.
What element is in pennies?
Copper
Why do pennys rust?
In recent years pennies have been made of steel plated in copper, and steel is prone to rust. Older pennies were made of pure copper, or copper and zinc, which did not rust.
What are you S Pennies made of?
Pennies today are made of 97.5% zinc and 2.5% copper.
What are pennies made off?
it's made out of zinc.
Were is zinc in a coin?
Zinc is the base of US pennies made after 1982.
Is the ratio of copper to zinc in the pennies made after 1982 higher or lower than the ratio of copper to zinc in the pennies made before 1982?
The pre-1982 pennies are 95% copper and 5% zinc. Post-1982 cents are 97.5% zinc and 2.5% copper.
Is potash in pennies?
No, pennies are made of copper and zinc Potash is potassium carbonate.
Does a penny have gold?
No, pennies do not contain gold. Modern pennies are mostly zinc with a little copper, older pennies are mostly copper with a little zinc.
What are medals that the US pennies are made of?
Copper zinc
Are the 1970s pennies different from the 1990s pennies?
Yes, in the 1970s pennies were made of 95% copper while in the 1990s they were made of about 97% zinc.
What are new pennies made of?
Since 1982, US pennies have been made of zinc with a thin copper coating. The specific percentages are 97.5% zinc and 2.5% copper.
What are pennies made of on or after 1999?
about 2.5%copper and 97.5%zinc
Does pennies have iron in it?
No. A penny is made out of copper-plated zinc.
What are 2004 pennies made of?
Pennies produced in 2004 were made from copper-plated zinc. Pennies with 95% copper metal have not been produced since 1982.
