How much is the penny worth?

Answer 1

It depends on the year and condition. I'm assuming you mean the newer Lincoln memorial cents. 1959 to 2008

Note: the wheat back cents 1958 and older generally bring a premium regardless of the year made.

Pennies made before 1982 and even some 1982's are 95% copper. So with the price of copper being around $3 a pound and about 150 pre 1982 pennies to make a pound, you can see that the copper content is worth more than the face value of the pennies.

Please note: it is currently illegal to melt US Coins! This may change in the future.

There is a lot of free information online about pennies.

You can easily distinguish the difference between the copper and zinc pennies by simply dropping them on a hard surface such as a table top and listen to the sound they make. The copper will have a tink or ring to it and the zinc will sound flat.