1982 Penny can you tell if it is copper or zinc by holding it in your hand

[kfs]

I have always had a pretty good percentage of looking at pennies and being able to tell if they were pre 82 or post 82. But know where close to 100% accuracy of coarse.

So people have asked how do you tell if an 82 penny is copper or a copper coated zinc penny and people have said you have to weigh them to know for sure. Have you ever tried comparing an 82 to a say 1976 penny in your hand. There is a difference of about 6 tenths of a gram between them. It is actually quite a noticeable difference when you compare them to a know copper penny

 

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[sheepdog_tx]

I'm not sure you can tell by weight but i can by sound. I recommended to another go to harbor frieght, radio shack, fry, etc and get a $10 scale that goes down to grains (much finer that grams). Anything in the ballpark of 3.11 is copper, 2.5 is zinc. Because copper 82 are more common I usually stack three at a time to see if I get a 9.3-4ish range to move things along.

 

[homefires]

The copper version is 3.11 grams. The Zinc I can't remember. 2.5 grams? Yes I can tell the difference just by the look. They just look Cheap!

 

[usandthem]

The copper version is 3.11 grams. The Zinc I can't remember. 2.5 grams? Yes I can tell the difference just by the look. They just look Cheap!

^ What he said.

 

[baddbluff]

I use a balance scale... Copper are significantly heavier

 

[sheepdog_tx]

I use a balance scale... Copper are significantly heavier

A smart little CRH could make a cheap balance scale with two pennies and fix it to balance near perfect between the two. Then only zincs would be significantly out of balance.

 

[kfs]

For me, pennies are not worth spending money on a scale. If you think about it, your concern with a one cent difference in value for coins that were minted for just one single year. If you what to use the scale for Ike dollars to determine if they are silver or clad, that might be something, I would spring for but I have not had that problem as of yet.

I just consider 1982 pennies to be copper coated zinc and move on. 1981 to what, 1959; go in my copper jar. However 1982 and up I just dump them.

But I thought it was cool that you can actually tell the difference. In just the feel of the weight, especially if you have a penny you know is copper to compare it to.


On a side note
Anyone notice that the zinc pennies also have a tendency to "rot" much more so than the old copper pennies. I have a couple of rolls of really really nasty looking pennies. They are all post 1982 at least as far as I can tell, some are just to nasty to tell for sure.

I would love to be standing next to someone who got one of these rolls in a change order when they opened the roll.

 

[Rushfan]

I also reject all 1982's... my copper horde (besides wheaties) is strictly 1959 - 1981. Don't need any "these ain't copper" hassles in the post-zombie-apocalypse... lol.
Sorting a box of cents: dump a roll. Remove obvious shield's and easy to read dates. Zinc or copper? Grab a handful and drop them on my granite countertop. Dead sound = zinc. Ringers are copper. Even have an 8"x8" piece of granite in my desk drawer for lunchtime sorting... :-)

 

[madwest]

You can tell by sound - free.
You can tell by putting a deep scratch in it - free.
You can tell with a Popsicle Stick balance - nearly free.
You can tell by weighing it gram scale - $10.

For the Popsicle stick balance, use a perfectly round pencil or dowel under a Popsicle stick (near the center). Rest a modern Zn cent at one end (no glue). At the other end, put a BB size drop of elmer glue. Put a Zn cent on the glue. Move the pencil until the whole thing balances. When it balances, move it a tiny bit further away from the glue end (the glue end should drop). When you find that spot, glue the pencil in place. Now, when you put a Cu cent on the working end, it should tip. A Zn won't tip.

 

[MIhunter]

I bought on Amazon digital scale for $8 and I would recommend that every CRHer should have one. To me it is an needed tool like, a magnifing glass, ruler, or Red Book.

 

[D1MES_101]

I use a balance scale... Copper are significantly heavier

i don't waste my time weighing the 82 pennies - i just toss em'

 

[TimZim]

I put all the 1982 in a pile and just used a scale its fast and easy.

 

[FormerTeller]

I also reject all 1982's... my copper horde (besides wheaties) is strictly 1959 - 1981.

Dead sound = zinc. Ringers are copper. Even have an 8"x8" piece of granite in my desk drawer for lunchtime sorting... :-)

Why keep granite in your desk drawer for lunchtime sorting if you reject all 1982's?



(just curious, not trying to flame a fellow Rush fan...)

 

[sheepdog_tx]

I bought on Amazon digital scale for $8 and I would recommend that every CRHer should have one. To me it is an needed tool like, a magnifing glass, ruler, or Red Book.

Roger that. If you cant afford a scale then put the 82s back in and we'll cull um. i pull out about 4 rolls of real 82s per box so... thanks. Its the same copper as an 81 or before. However if you get some Ike dolalrs you'll be glad you already had one. I already had one cause i buy scrap gold and silver.

 

[usandthem]

Roger that. If you cant afford a scale then put the 82s back in and we'll cull um. i pull out about 4 rolls of real 82s per box so... thanks. Its the same copper as an 81 or before. However if you get some Ike dolalrs you'll be glad you already had one. I already had one cause i buy scrap gold and silver.

I sold way more than enough '82 pennies to pay for my scale. I use it all the time for stuff besides pennies. BTW I figure that about 75% of all '82 pennies are copper.

 

[Rushfan]

FormerTeller... I was going over my process for sorting an entire box... I use the "drop and listen for the ring" method. I have the granite at work for this purpose. Once the copper in a roll is separated, I date check them. Any 1982 coppers get tossed. Why? See my zombie apocalypse scenario in my original post ... lol.
Might seem a sacrilege, but I'm not the only one! R U S H !

 

[Plug]

yes, you can tell by hand

 

[Plug]

that's awesome, although i can't say i'd be fond of comparing with a balance scale. i think it would take forever to sort that way...

 

[homefires]

You can tell just by looking! LOL

Copper/Zinc pennies have a nice soft color.

Zinclons have a shine brighter then a new Copper penny.

 

[silvernd]

I was going to start a new thread about this, but this is as good a place as any.

What percentage of '82s do you find to be copper? If I'm not mistaken the mintage figures say it should be around 75 Cu/25 Zn. I just ran a few dozen rolls and had 55 copper and only 2 zincs. This is despite my overall copper to zinc ratio being a bit lower than most here. Makes me wonder if I'm downstream of a large by hand sorter since they may throw back the '82 coppers rather than checking.

I won't even mention my wheats. It used to be 10/box now its lucky to be 2.