How do I know if my 1982 penny is bronze?

The 1982-D small date bronze Lincoln cent is a rare and valuable transitional error! So, how do you find them? There are two key diagnostics: the size of the date and the coin's weight. The 1982-D small date bronze weighs about 3.1 grams, versus only 2.5 grams for the far more common zinc issue.

How do you identify a bronze penny?

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".

How can you tell if a penny is bronze or copper?

The easiest way to determine whether or not your 1943 Cent has collectible value—to see if it is possibly bronze rather than steel—is simply to test it with a magnet. If the coin is magnetic, then it is, unfortunately, the common steel version and is not valuable in most cases.

How can you tell if a 1982 penny is copper?

For pennies dated 1982, when both copper and zinc cents were made, and best way to determine their composition is to weigh them. Solid copper pennies weigh 3.11 grams (+/- 0.130 g.), whereas the copper plated zinc pennies weigh only 2.5 grams (+/- 0.100 g.).

Are all 1982 pennies 95% copper?

So for the past 30 years, pennies have been made with an alloy comprised of 97.5% zinc and 2.5% copper, but pennies minted before 1982 are 95% copper and 5% zinc. The price of copper has more than quadrupled over the past 10 years.

How to know if your US penny is Zinc or Bronze?

How do I know if my 1982 penny is rare?

For pennies dated 1982, when both copper and zinc cents were made, and best way to determine their composition is to weigh them. 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 makes a 1982 penny rare?

In October 1982, the Denver mint began making the coins with a smaller date. Remember, the Denver mint struck 6,012,979,368 pieces. The number includes both copper and zinc pennies. So, such large numbers made these 1982 pennies have a low market value.

How rare is a 1982 small date copper penny?

The 1982-P Small Date copper Lincoln cent is one of the most difficult memorial cents to find in high grade condition. They are scarce even in MS64 and MS65 grades. It is one of the most difficult varieties to find in high grade out of all seven different varieties of this date.

What metal is 1982 penny?

Technically, this meant that the penny, which had been bronze, became brass. However, there was no noticeable change in the appearance of the coin. In 1982, the fast-rising price of copper forced the U.S. Mint to change the composition of the penny to primarily zinc, with pure copper plating.

Will bronze stick to a magnet?

Bronze is a mixture (alloy) of mostly copper with about 12% tin, and sometimes small amounts of nickel (nickel can make it very slightly magnetic but, generally, bronze is not magnetic).

How can you tell if it's brass or bronze?

Perhaps the best way to distinguish between brass and bronze is through their color. Brass usually has a muted yellow shade, much like dull gold, which makes it a good material for furniture and fixtures. Bronze, on the other hand, looks almost always a reddish brown.

Do bronze pennies stick to magnets?

There is one notable difference. Copper-plated coins are attracted to magnets because of the iron content of the steel core, whereas bronze coins are not magnetic.

How much does a bronze 1982 penny weigh?

There are two key diagnostics: the size of the date and the coin's weight. The 1982-D small date bronze weighs about 3.1 grams, versus only 2.5 grams for the far more common zinc issue.

What year of penny is bronze?

“Bronze” Lincoln cents from 1962 to 1982 were actually brass! The US Mint removed the zinc from the 95% copper alloy in 1962 due to high zinc prices.

Is there a 1982 D small date copper penny?

The 1982-D has been a highly sought-after coin ever since the first one was discovered in Minnesota in 2016 and sold for $18,800 at auction. Now that a second specimen has been found, it gives collectors even more hope of finding one. A second 1982-D Small Date homogenous copper alloy Lincoln cent has been discovered.

Which 1982 penny is worth the most money?

Large and Small Date Zinc P. As well as Large D Coppers and Large and Small D Zinc Pennies. 1982 D Small Date Coppers are the most valuable 1982 Pennies issued.

How much does a 1982 small date zinc penny weigh?

A 1982 zinc penny has a tolerance of 0.10 grams — so an authentic one could weigh as little as 2.40 grams or as much as 2.60 grams.

How much does a 1982 D Large Date penny weigh?

1982 D Penny Copper Large date 3.11 gram.

How much is a 1982 large date bronze penny worth?

Copper Alloy Penny

Depicted above is the 95% copper composite 1982 Large Date Lincoln Memorial Cent (Penny). USA Coin Book Estimated Value of 1982 Lincoln Memorial Penny (Copper - Large Date Variety) is Worth $0.39 or more in Uncirculated (MS+) Mint Condition. Click here to Learn How to use Coin Price Charts.

Is there a bronze penny?

This 1943 Bronze Lincoln Cent is one of just 10-15 surviving examples of pennies made from bronze planchets left over from 1942. They were fed into the coin press along with the steel planchets meant for 1943 production, and the resulting cent pieces subsequently slipped into circulation.

Are old pennies bronze?

Final proof sets were minted in 1970, before decimalisation in 1971 marked the end of the old penny. Measuring 20.3mm and weighing 3.56g, decimal pennies were first minted from bronze. With rising copper prices, in 1992, it was changed to copper-plate.