Copper hoarders - a question.

[Dozer D]

In my process of copper hoarding & sorting from the zincs, I usually keep all the 1982 separate, to gram scale at a later time between the coppers @ 3.11g vs zinc @ 2.5g. In a recent sort, I found that my coppers were exceeding zinc by about a 5-to-1 ratio. I had expected the zinc to be much higher, but not so. Do any of you other hoarders who sort '1982's find the same or different ratios? Comments.

 

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[kcm]

I seem to average about 2 1982 coppers to every 1982 zinc. But it changes with each trip to the bank.

First time getting cents, was getting about 50% copper from the rolls. Now am getting about 35% overall.

Do you sort your copper Canadians also? I started throwing them in with the copper U.S., but now am holding them separate, as it appears they pull a little high value, as the Canadian copper cents have higher copper content and weight. Still, with some copper cents being 3.1 grams and others being 2.9 grams, there's no way to say exactly what your weight is just by the number of coins. So it seems useless to me to have a premium put on the Canadian cents. ...But still it's there.

 

[Dozer D]

I keep all my Canadian cents separate, maybe some day will be able to fill a recent date folder(s). When I sort my '82's, I use a gram scale to decide which is copper vs zinc, no questionable calls needed. I still have to sort ALL the (7)varieties of the '82p&d as best of the best for the grandkids folders.

 

[kcm]

I still have to sort ALL the (7)varieties of the '82p&d as best of the best for the grandkids folders.

ACK!! I don't go THAT far!

 

[cudamark]

Years ago, I started sorting and checking the ratios of '82 cents also, but, noticed the ratios have changed the last few years. I suspect it's because many of the zincs have been pulled out of circulation due to corrosion damage. The copper ones hold up, the zincs don't, so, as time goes by, there will be less and less zinc '82's compared to the copper version(s).

 

[huntsman53]

When I first started hoarding Copper cents as well as both the Copper and Zinc 1982 Cents, the Zinc count was much higher than the Copper. However, now it appears that the 1982 Copper cents come in 2 or 3 to 1 Zinc nowadays. This might be due to there have been more Varieties and Errors found with the 1982 Zinc cents compared to the Copper cents.


Frank

 

[dejapooh]

Years ago, I started sorting and checking the ratios of '82 cents also, but, noticed the ratios have changed the last few years. I suspect it's because many of the zincs have been pulled out of circulation due to corrosion damage. The copper ones hold up, the zincs don't, so, as time goes by, there will be less and less zinc '82's compared to the copper version(s).

That's interesting. With the copper hounds pulling copper as fast as they can, I wonder if 1982's will become "rare." I mean if there is something pulling the zinc ones out, and another thing pulling the copper ones out...

 

[cudamark]

My point was that the zincs that are lost at the beach and in corrosive soils, corrode to the point of falling apart, whereas, the copper ones go back in circulation with little damage. 20 years from now, the copper ones will still be usable, but, the zinc ones will be dissolved away.

 

[Showtime2385]

Mine vary but instead of weighing them I flip them in the air. The copper will ring and the zinc will sound dead. Much faster!

 

[Tuberale]

In my process of copper hoarding & sorting from the zincs, I usually keep all the 1982 separate, to gram scale at a later time between the coppers @ 3.11g vs zinc @ 2.5g. In a recent sort, I found that my coppers were exceeding zinc by about a 5-to-1 ratio. I had expected the zinc to be much higher, but not so. Do any of you other hoarders who sort '1982's find the same or different ratios? Comments.

Don't really know the percentage between my zincs and pennies. Just know I got a few of both. Also good to know the Canadian pennies have higher % Cu. Thanks for telling me.

 

[smokeythecat]

I don't weigh cents. Probably don't even have any "cents". Anyway, I keep Canadians I guess because they are just different. I see they do sell at a decent premium on the net.

 

[cudamark]

Mine vary but instead of weighing them I flip them in the air. The copper will ring and the zinc will sound dead. Much faster!

I sort them a couple of different ways. First by appearance. If they have bubbles, holes, or chucks missing, they're definitely zinc. Next, I just pass them across my detector coil with the tone I.D. turned on. Low tone, zinc. High tone, copper. You can run quite a few coins across it in a short period of time.