First Penny Hunt Results

[jnb1994]

Pretty happy with my first penny hunt results.

Tried to get a box of pennies today and didn't have any luck until I opened an account at a new local bank. They said they were able to give me 20 rolls of pennies but they can order coins for me (finally a bank that can do that!). As I was getting ready to buy the coins an elderly couple came in with a box full of wrapped coins. They had 60 rolls of pennies which I bought so I left the bank with 40 bucks of pennies. Found 1002 coppers (25%), 148 1982's (how can I tell if these are copper or zinc without spending hundreds on a machine?), 20 wheat pennies including a 1957 which is in excellent condition. Found 10 canadians and 8 dimes. Overall I'd say not too bad.

 

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[Beans]

Right place at the right time, great first hunt. On the 1982's since I don't know the how to tell the diff either I just include them in my copper hoard. You did pretty good on the wheats also.

 

[minkybodl]

You can weigh them, they will weigh more if they are Cu.

 

[MIhunter]

Copper pennies weigh 3.11 gm, Zinc pennies weigh 2.5 gm. Some people claim they can tell the difference by the sound they make bouncing it off a table, I can't. You can find a electronic scale for $8-10 on Amazon.com to use. You could make you own scale with a 1981 or earlier penny as the counter weight. Some people who hoard copper dump 1982s rather than spend the time to weigh them. I have found that 80% of 1982s are copper.


My suggestion: Buy the scale. A scale the measures at least to the tenth of a gram is a must for a CRHer/coin collector/treasure hunter, just like a magnifing glass

 

[jnb1994]

Ya I think I'm gonna go buy one. I don't see the point of dumping perfectly good copper. IMO if your going to spend that much time sorting through a box how much longer does it take to weigh some of them.

 

[Xiao en]

I bounce them off the table. Copper 82's have a ping sound. Clad makes a clunk sound. Do this first with cents you know for sure to be copper and clad so that your ear can know the difference. Drop them flat.

 

[AgHawk]

.......I don't know the how to tell the diff either I just include them in my copper hoard...........

Very bad advice right there.

The bounce test, as mentioned above, is very reliable and after doing it a few times you should hear the distinct sound each type makes very easily.

You can also make a fulcrum scale (like a seesaw) with just a popsicle stick and a pencil. Cut a notch in the pencil so the popsicle stick rests centered in the notch, then glue it in place. Then take a known zinc penny and glue it to one side of the popsicle stick. Now just place your 1982s on the other side of the "seesaw" and the heavier ones will be your copper 1982s.

 

[Beans]

.......I don't know the how to tell the diff either I just include them in my copper hoard...........

Very bad advice right there.

I was not giving advice, just letting the OP know what I do with the 82's.

 

[AgHawk]

.....I was not giving advice, just letting the OP know what I do with the 82's.

My apologies then. Good luck with your copper/zinc hoard.

 

[thersonly_1]

Some may say I waisted my money but I purchased a copper penny sorter. Cost $80 but now I go thro $25 in five min.
Reading about the significant weight difference in the copper vs zinc concerns me tho.
My "dump" bank that I take my zinc to does not allow us to turn in wrapped coin they have to weigh it in plastic bags. I wonder I'd thier scale is set to weigh copper or zinc. I bring them bags with $40 worth of penny's I hope I am not getting short changed.

 

[Thorne]

Easy way to tell the difference is to simply flip them. You can here the ting and the thud. Flip a copper and then flip a zinc. Easy test

 

[sagittarius98]

Some may say I waisted my money but I purchased a copper penny sorter. Cost $80 but now I go thro $25 in five min.
Reading about the significant weight difference in the copper vs zinc concerns me tho.
My "dump" bank that I take my zinc to does not allow us to turn in wrapped coin they have to weigh it in plastic bags. I wonder I'd thier scale is set to weigh copper or zinc. I bring them bags with $40 worth of penny's I hope I am not getting short changed.

That's an interesting question. Don't bring up old threads though. Just start a new thread.

 

[44_Dimes]

Just sound check the 82's. It is fairly easy to tell after a few drops. Copper will have a much high ring to it where as zinc will just be a normal clank.

 

[Hopper39]

Easy way to tell the difference is to simply flip them. You can here the ting and the thud. Flip a copper and then flip a zinc. Easy test

^ What Thorne said.

 

[baddbluff]

I have a small balance scale. I put a zincoln on one side & unknown '82 on the other. Copper one is heavier & tilts the balance.