How much copper is in a penny?

Answer 1

Pennies are made of zinc coated with copper.

Answer 2

Up to mid-1982, cents were about 98% copper. The rest was tin and/or zinc depending on the year of issue. In the middle of 1982 the price of copper shot up so the Mint (with help from the zinc industry, natch!) changed the coin's composition to a pure zinc core with a plating of copper so that the color would be identical to prior issues. The plating now makes up only 2.5% of the coin's weight. On that basis, since each coin weighs 2.5 gm, 2.5% of that (0.025 * 2.5) or about 0.06 gm is copper.

Answer 3

There really hasn't been all that much copper in a so-called "copper penny" since mid-1982. The outer shell, which is the part we see of the penny, is copper, but only the outer shell. Today's penny is made of only 2.5% copper, and 97.5% zinc, to cut down the cost of making the penny.

From mid-1864 to 1942, and 1944 to mid-1982, cents were made of bronze which consisted of 95% copper plus 5% tin and/or zinc in varying proportions. 1943 cents, of course, were made of steel to save copper for the war effort.

Before that, Flying Eagle and early Indian Head cents were made of an alloy of 88% copper and 12% nickel, and were the first circulating coins to contain nickel.

Large cents (1793-1857) were for the most part made of pure copper.

Answer 4

From mid-1864 to 1942 and 1944 to mid-1982 cents were made of an alloy of 95% copper and 5% tin and/or zinc.

Cents made since mid-1982 are made of 97.5% zinc with only a thin copper plating for the other 2.5%.

1943 cents of course had no copper in them and were made of steel as a wartime measure. Copper was needed for ammunition.