Results, box of pennies 1-10-07 (pics added 2-10-07)

[HobBob]

Yes, I am a little late in reporting my finds (sorry!)....

One box of pennies yielded the following results:
Wheaties - 7 (1939 1945 1946 1951D 1953 1953Dx2)
Copper (1959-'81) - 617
Errors - 4 (1994D with holes; 2005 with very minor die cracks through "WE TRUST"; 1982, 1987D with pebbly surfaces)
Canadian - 78
Other foreign - 1 (1 cent Euro, Ireland 2002)
...Plus a dime in a roll of 50 pennies twice.

I have decided to stop counting or checking the 1982's for now... I now have samples of all the varieties (large date, small date, copper, zinc, and mint marks) in my album. Plus it would be too time-consuming to weigh each one if, in the future, it became both legal and practical to redeem them for copper content.

However, it might be interesting to start weighing the 83's.... I read of someone who, after weighing all his 83's, found one made of copper, rather than zinc. The determination was made by weight... the copper planchet pennies weigh 3.11 grams, while the zinc/copper plated planchets weigh 2.5 grams. If I remember right, he sold it for something in the four figure range.

HH,
Bob

 

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[diggummup]

Thats a good bit o copper cents out of that box.Also a high number of Canadian pennies.I believe that pre '96 Canadian cents are 98% copper.FYI-I also heard the same thing about the 1983 Lincoln "copper" cent.

 

[HobBob]

Thats a good bit o copper cents out of that box.Also a high number of Canadian pennies.I believe that pre '96 Canadian cents are 98% copper.FYI-I also heard the same thing about the 1983 Lincoln "copper" cent.

Being as close to the Canadian border as I am, I routinely pull in that many, or more, Canadian coinage. I have had several rolls that were 48 out of 50 Canadian, with Lincolns tucked into the ends.
I also save the -96 and earlier Canadian coins, and roll them with the rest of my copper, but label the rolls as Canadian for easy future ID. I turn in the rolled -97 and later Canadian pennies for more penny rolls.
I have started using Excel spreadsheets to document my boxes one roll at a time --much easier that way to get my totals and to save my data for future posterity.

 

[bazinga]

I wouldn't say that that 1994D has any damage that occurred at the mint. Looks more like how a zinc penny reacts to being in the ground. It just starts to become all cruddy and nasty and fall apart.

 

[HobBob]

I wouldn't say that that 1994D has any damage that occurred at the mint. Looks more like how a zinc penny reacts to being in the ground. It just starts to become all cruddy and nasty and fall apart.

Hi Brian,
Some of the pennies I pull from rolls clearly have been buried, but I don't think this one has. I'm thinking this one had some impurities on the zinc slug prior to the copper jacket being applied. Although it's hard to see with this picture, the hole below the mint mark starts to intrude into and below the mint mark, but the mint mark itself is clear and unaffected. This makes me think the heat of striking the penny may be what caused the hole to form.
However, I have also seen pictures in one of the most recent Coin World trade papers that show a penny that has been heated after leaving the mint. It caused bubbles to erupt under the copper skin, which I guess could result in this type of damage also. In any event, it's an interesting, eye-catching feature on the coin, which is why I kept it.
But rest assured, I have no plans of trying to sell it on e-Bay or anywhere else -- it's just a curio for my own entertainment (I guess I'm easily amused! 8) )
HH,
Bob