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Since 1982 US cents have been made of copper-plated zinc.
The Mint buys large rolls of zinc stock from metal suppliers. The stock is approximately the thickness of a finished cent, with slight differences to allow for changes during the striking process. The process starts a bit like baking cookies: the stock is unrolled (think of a giant roll of dough) and fed into a press that punches out circular blanks, similar to the way a cutter would press out blanks for making cookies.
The blanks go through a process to clean them of debris and oils. Next they're fed into a machine that squeezes the edges slightly to produce the raised rim seen on all US Coins. After that, the blanks are fed into hoppers that feed high-speed presses that strike the front and back images on each one.
Finally the zinc coins are put into a chemical bath that deposits a layer of copper on the outside, both so that the coins look like their bronze predecessors and so that the underlying zinc won't corrode.
Wiki User
∙ 10y ago
Wiki User
∙ 15y agoPennies are made up of 97% zinc, and 3% copper. All though this seems unbelievable, it is true. Earlier in History, pennies were made up of jut copper, but that got too expensive, so the U.S government changed the pennies material, to Zinc, and copper.
Wiki User
∙ 16y agoAn alloy of 95% copper, 5% zinc. The change to copper-plated zinc took place in mid 1982.
Wiki User
∙ 14y agoPennies are zinc, but they are copper plated.
Wiki User
∙ 13y agoOriginally pennies were made of copper. They are now made mainly of zinc.
Wiki User
∙ 13y agoA penny is made put of copper
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Is a penny an magnet?
No. Pennies were made of copper (Now US pennies are made of copper plated zinc) Magnets are made of iron or other ferro-magnetic metals.
What is the value of 2000 pennies all made in the year 2000?
$20.00 US.
Which pennies are magnetic?
It depends on which country we are talking about. For the US, there is only one magnetic coin the 1943 steel penny. For Canada, there have been some magnetic pennies made since 2000, though there were zinc pennies made until 2008. For the UK, pennies have been magnetic (copper plated steel) since 1992.
Why do quarters conduct electricity better than pennies?
quarters are made of steel, and pennies are made of copper. Copper doesn't conduct electricity
Are pennies made of mostly copper or zinc?
pennies are made of mostly zinc but have some copper in themMoreThe composition of US cents was changed from bronze in mid-1982. The coins now have a zinc core plated with copper (rather than mixed together). Zinc makes up 97.5% of the coin by weight.
When was the silver penny made?
The US never made silver pennies. In 1943 the US made steel pennies. These are often mistaken for silver pennies.
What is US pennies made of?
Copper
How many pennies were made in 2012?
According to the US mint, 6015.2 million pennies were made in 2012.
When was us pennies made?
1938 IN a MINT
Who is on the silver penny?
Nobody. The US never made silver pennies. In 1943 the US made steel pennies. These are often mistaken for silver. In 1943 Abraham Lincoln was on the US penny.
How much does 1 in US pennies weigh?
3.11 grams for pennies made from 1959 to 1982
What are medals that the US pennies are made of?
Copper zinc
Did the US ever made steel pennies?
Yes
Is a penny an magnet?
No. Pennies were made of copper (Now US pennies are made of copper plated zinc) Magnets are made of iron or other ferro-magnetic metals.
Were there any pennies in the 1940s made of gold?
No, but in 1943 US pennies were made from steel coated zinc. These have become a collector favorite.
When were pennies made of wreath?
On US cents from 1793 to 1958 .
When was silver in pennies?
The US has never made silver pennies. It would cost way to much to make silver pennies because of the value of silver. Many people think that in 1943 pennies were made out of silver however they are actually made out of zinc and steel.
