Full Answer
How much zinc is in a penny?
These coins, which are still being produced today, contain 97.6 percent zinc and 2.4 percent copper. This coin is identical in size and appearance to the predominantly copper cent issued before 1982, but this modification saves the Government an estimated $25 million in metal costs every year.
How to tell if my Penny is copper or zinc?
- If it’s a genuine bronze cent it won’t stick to a magnet. If it does stick, it’s a plated 1943 steel cent.
- What does it weigh? If it weighs about 3.1 gm it’s bronze, but 2.7 gm for steel
- If the tail of the “3” in the date points sideways to the left, it’s a 1948 cent that’s been altered by scraping away the left side of the “8”. ...
How much is a zinc penny worth?
What is a zinc penny worth? All modern US pennies are zinc, coated with copper. They are all worth 1 cent. During WW2, steel pennies were minted. They are worth between 10 and 50 cents. 60 views View upvotes Related Answer Troy Hoffman , Python Developer (2014-present) Answered 4 years ago · Author has 2.3K answers and 4.5M answer views
Why is the Penny made of copper and not silver?
- Take your coin to a local coin dealer and have the dealer look at it. ...
- Take your coin to a local coin show and have several dealers look at it and give you their opinion. ...
- If a majority of the dealers think it is authentic, then you should invest the money and send it to a third-party grading service. ...
See more
How can you tell if a penny is zinc?
If your Lincoln Memorial penny has a date before 1982, it is made of 95% copper. If the date is 1983 or later, it is made of 97.5% zinc and plated with a thin copper coating. For pennies dated 1982, when both copper and zinc cents were made, and best way to determine their composition is to weigh them.
What color is a zinc coin?
Gray and black are the normal colours of old zinc, and never try to clean the oxidation off any coin.
What color is a zinc coated penny?
silver-The penny develops a zinc “silver-colored” coating.
What does a zinc coated steel penny look like?
Since the US Mint was making pennies of this metal, it decided to contribute. Therefore, it replaced copper in pennies with zinc-coated steel. That change made this penny look like a silver coin, setting it apart from all the pennies ever minted before.
Are zinc pennies worth anything?
They are relatively common in excellent condition since people tended to save them when they were first issued because they were unusual. Unfortunately, a regular 1943 steel penny is worth only a few cents. As the 1943 steel pennies circulated, the zinc coating started to turn dark gray and almost black.
What color is a 1943 penny?
silver coloredThe War Effort and Metals In 1943 U.S. Mint produced the penny out of zinc plated steel to save copper for the war effort, so most 1943 pennies are silver colored.
What penny is worth $1000000?
1943 Lincoln pennyA 1943 Lincoln penny that soared in value because it was made from the "wrong" material reportedly has sold for $1 million. The penny was erroneously made of bronze instead of zinc-coated steel at the San Francisco Mint, according to UPI news agency. Texas Rangers co-chairman Bob R.
Why do some old pennies look red?
The older penny, from about 1859 to 1864, contained 12% nickel in addition to 88% copper. The red penny, produced before the five-cent coin we know today as the nickel, was therefore referred to as the nickel, or simply the nick.
How do you tell if a penny is copper or bronze?
Try picking your coin up with a magnet. If your coin is attracted to the magnet, it is made of copper-plated steel (a fraud). If the magnet does not attract your coin, it may be made of bronze and you should have the coin authenticated to determine if it is the "real deal".
What penny is worth $50000?
The 1959-D wheat penny is one of the most controversial mule coins ever. It's worth $50,000!
How can you tell the difference between copper and steel pennies?
The easiest way to determine if a 1943 cent is made of steel, and not copper, is to use a magnet. If it sticks to the magnet, it is not copper. If it does not stick, the coin might be of copper and should be authenticated by an expert.
How much is a 1943 steel penny worth in 2021?
Specimens in circulated conditions aren't worth more than 15 to 30 cents. According to the PCGS coin price guide though, uncirculated coins can be worth from $7 (graded MS60) to $3,500 (graded MS68). However, there were some error strikes that year that can sell for 5 or even 6 figures.
How to tell if a penny is copper?
How to tell if your penny is copper. There are several ways to tell if your penny is zinc or copper. First and most easily, if your penny is dated 1983 or later, it is zinc. For pennies dated 1982, it could be either zinc or copper. The simplest way to tell without using machinery is to weigh your penny with a scale that reads to the tenth ...
What was the 1943 penny made of?
In 1943, copper was heavily in demand to be used in war materials for World War II. Because of this, the 1943 penny was made of steel. There was a small amount of error pennies minted of copper in 1943. If you have a 1983 copper penny or 1943 copper penny, that could potentially be a rare and valuable find! We sort pennies into zinc pennies ...
Is a penny a copper penny?
In general, if your penny is dated 1959 to 1981 (with the exception of 1943 ), you can rest assured your penny is a copper penny. There are rare exceptions to the above for telling if your penny is zinc or copper. The U.S. mint had minted a small amount of error copper pennies in 1983.
How many grams are in a zinc penny?
If you weigh a zinc penny on a scale that can only register full 1 gram increments, the penny will usually display 3 grams, since the scale rounds the 2.5 gram zinc penny upwards to 3. The wrong type of scale can be misleading when you are trying to sort copper and zinc pennies.
What is the difference between copper and zinc pennies?
Zinc pennies have sort of a flat "clunk," whereas copper pennies have a higher-pitched, more melodious "ring" sound. Once you have a good feeling for how each type sounds, start dropping your 1982's one at a time, listening for the sound they make, and you should be able to sort them out by metal composition.
How much does a copper penny weigh?
Solid copper pennies weigh 3.11 grams (+/- 0.130 g.), whereas the copper plated zinc pennies weigh only 2.5 grams (+/- 0.100 g.).
What is a Lincoln penny made of?
If your Lincoln Memorial penny has a date before 1982, it is made of 95% copper. If the date is 1983 or later, it is made of 97.5% zinc and plated with a thin copper coating.
Why do people melt coins?
It has been the past experience in the United States that when the melt value of a coin exceeds its face value, people will melt the coins in order to sell the raw metal and make a profit. In an effort to thwart a melt off of pennies in 1982, the United States Mint made half of the pennies out of solid copper and the other half out ...
Can you drop coins on a hard surface?
Only use the drop test on circulating pennies where you are sorting copper and zinc for the bullion value only. Never drop collectible uncirculated or Proof coins in this fashion to test them, since dropping pennies on a hard surface might cause minor damage that can make a collectible coin less valuable.
Is it illegal to melt pennies?
Although it is illegal to melt pennies and sell the raw metal, people still pull the solid copper pennies out of circulation in order to save them for their copper value. Illustration: Allie Folino. © The Spruce, 2019.
Why were pennies silver colored?
During World War II, the war effort required a lot of copper to make shell casings and munitions. In 1943 the penny was made out of zinc plated steel to save copper for the war effort which is why most 1943 pennies are silver colored. Metal was not the only commodity that was critical to the war effort.
What metal is used in the US pennies?
To help the war effort by eliminating copper from U.S. pennies, the United States Mint came up with a new metallic composition for the one cent piece. They decided on using steel for the base metal and plating it with pure zinc. Unfortunately, zinc oxidizes over time and turns into a dull and dark gray color.
How was steel made in the Mint?
Mint workers first rolled a sheet of steel to the proper thickness. Next, the steel sheet was plated with zinc and passed through a blanking press. The blanking press punched coin blanks punched out of it . The manufacturing process resulted in bare steel exposed on the edge of the coin.
What are 1943 silver pennies made of?
Most people believe that all pennies ever produced by the United States Mint are made of copper. Therefore, when someone finds one of these silver pennies in their pocket change, they believe they have come across a great rarity.
How much is a 1943 steel penny worth?
Value of a 1943 Steel Penny. They are worth about 10 to 13 cents each in circulated condition, and as much as 50 cents or more if uncirculated . The following table lists the buy price (what you can expect to pay to a dealer to purchase the coin) and sell value (what you can expect a dealer to pay you if you sell the coin).
Where were pennies made?
Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco all produced these ultra rare 1943 copper pennies. In 1944 the mint switched back to using copper to produce the pennies. Once again, the totes contained a few zinc-coated steel planchets stuck in the crevices.
What is Susan Penny?
Susan is an avid coin collector of over 30 years, and has written 150 articles for The Spruce. She is a member of the American Numismatic Association. One of the most unusual pennies produced by the United States Mint are the "1943 Silver Pennies.". Most people believe that all pennies ever produced by the United States Mint are made of copper.
Is Mercury shiny or dull?
Mercury is shiny, as I recall (I used to play with a vial my father has). An unplated Lincoln will quickly turn dull gray if handled. Also, zinc is very unstable when exposed to the elements, so handle it as little as possible, or it will disappear in a pile of corrosion/dust.
Can you fake a coin with unplated copper?
Since unplated cents are so easy to fake either by removing the copper or by zinc plating , unless the coin is fully MS with full cartwheel luster they usually aren't worth anything.
How much is a penny?
The United States one-cent coin (symbol: ¢ ), often called the "penny", is a unit of currency equaling one one-hundredth of a United States dollar . It has been the lowest face-value physical unit of U.S. currency since the abolition of the half-cent in 1857 (the abstract mill, which has never been minted, equal to a tenth of a cent, ...
What is the current one cent coin?
The Lincoln cent is the current one-cent coin of the U.S. It was adopted in 1909 (which would have been Lincoln's 100th birthday), replacing the Indian Head cent. Its reverse was changed in 1959 from a wheat-stalks design to a design which includes the Lincoln Memorial (to commemorate Lincoln 's sesquicentennial) and was replaced again in 2009 with four new designs to commemorate Lincoln 's bicentennial. There are more one-cent coins produced than any other denomination, which makes the Lincoln cent a familiar item. In its lifespan, this coin has weathered both world wars, one of which temporarily changed its composition as part of the war effort. The obverse design is the longest produced for any circulating American coin.
What is the coin called that is one cent?
The U.S. Mint 's official name for the coin is " cent " and the U.S. Treasury's official name is "one cent piece". The colloquial term penny derives from the British coin of the same name, which occupies a similar place in the British system. Pennies is the plural form (not to be confused with pence, which refers to the unit of currency ).
Why did the VDB coin have the initials VDB?
Before the coins were issued, however, the initials "VDB" were substituted because officials at the United States Mint felt the name was too prominent.
What was the purpose of the Lincoln Cent?
When the Lincoln Cent was introduced in 1909, it was discovered that the coining dies and their curved fields were unable to be polished to proof coining condition by existing Mint equipment. To produce Proof coinage for collectors, the U.S. Mint adopted the French technique of the Matte Proof, which was thought to highlight the design, while leaving the details of the coin as the designer intended. This was done by a sandblasting of the dies prior to use. When struck by the high pressure hydraulic press of the Philadelphia Mint Medal Room, the result was a semi-rough surface, a gentle luster and strongly defined wide square rims. These coins were produced in very small numbers, and the dies quickly developed small marks, known as diagnostics. These marks are used today by Third Party Graders and Collectors to authenticate the coin. Sold for mere pennies over face during the years of production, they were not popular with collectors. When new, the coins were wrapped in a tarnish-proof tissue, which over time proved to be anything but. Since many of these coins sat for decades unsold, vivid colors and toning developed. It is not unusual to see vivid blues, greens, lavender, coppery orange, deep reds and purple hues on these coins. Eagerly collected by numismatists today, they are among the most valuable Lincoln cents. Unencapsulated coins are easily identified by wide, square outer rims, quite unlike the rounded edges of business strikes.
Why was the penny changed in 1982?
The cent's composition was changed in 1982 because the value of the copper in the coin started to rise above one cent. Some 1982 pennies used the 97.5% zinc composition, while others used the 95% copper composition. With the exception of 2009 bicentennial cents minted specifically for collectors, United States cents minted after 1982 have been zinc ...
What is the name of the coin that depicts the Morro Castle fire?
To commemorate the Fire at the SS Morro Castle, local coin dealer Louis Werner made copper caps depicting the Morro Castle surrounded by the legend "The Morro Castle Fire" These were then encased over one side of a Lincoln cent. According to "Mrs. Astor's Horse" by Stanley Walker :
Check The Date on The Penny.
Weigh The Penny.
- You cantell zinc pennies apart from copper pennies by their weight when using a gram scale: 1. A copper pennyweighs 3.11 grams. 2. A zinc pennyweighs 2.5 grams. You can see the 2 types of pennies’ weight differences described in this video:
Look at The Color of The Penny.
- You cantell zinc pennies apart from copper pennies by their colorwhen looking at them side by side: 1. A worn copper pennyusually has a chocolate brown appearance or a deep warm, orange hue. 2. A zinc pennytypically has more uneven toning — which can often make the surface look somewhat spotted.
Listen to The Sound It Makes When You Drop it.
- You can tell zinc pennies from copper pennies by listening for a ‘clicking sound’ or a ‘ringing sound’when you drop them onto a hard surface — like a table: 1. A copper penny‘rings.’ 2. A zinc penny‘clicks.’ You can hear the different sounds that the 2 types of pennies makewhen they’re dropped in this video: So there you go!… Now you know how to tell a copper penny from a zinc p…