No joke! I have a five gallon bucket full of penny's and if penny's are 100% copper it would be better for me to sell them for copper than what they would be really worth. The bucket weights nearly or over 300 pounds. What's your thoughts on this?
2007-02-25 10:05:47 · 9 answers · asked by Brian A 1 in Business & Finance ➔ Other - Business & Finance
pennies have not been made out of copper blanks for 30 years or more. the metal in more recent pennies is pretty much valueless. if your pennies are old enough such as wheat backs you should at least get a book on them to find the ones that are rare enough to be valuable rather than recycling them. some of the older pennies can be worth hundreds of $s.
2007-02-25 10:19:05 · answer #1 · answered by Steven S 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, depending on the date when the penny was minted, the content of copper varies. The best way is to sort out the pennies according to dates. Some pennies are worth more than it's weight in copper, but some are worth less.
At most, a penny is 95% copper. At the least, a penny could be 0% copper*.
Pennies minted from 1909 to 1942 are 95% copper and 5% tin and zinc. They are called wheat cents.
*Pennies minted in 1943 are 100% *steel* - this is called the steel penny.
Pennies minted from 1944 to 1945 are 95% copper and 5% zinc. They are called wheat cents.
Pennies minted from 1946 to 1958 (wheat cents), and 1959 to 1982* (Lincoln Memorial) are 95% copper and 5% tin and zinc. All these 95% copper pennies weigh 48 grains or 3.11 grams each.
From 1982 to current date (Lincoln Memorial), pennies are 99.2% zinc and 0.8% copper. These copper-coated zinc pennies weigh 39 grains or 2.5 grams each.
2007-02-25 10:21:22 · answer #2 · answered by Think Richly™ 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Nope a penny's isn't just Copper. It's Copper Plated and made of Zinc
2.5% Cu
Balance Zn
2007-02-25 10:17:48 · answer #3 · answered by imasoccerfreak132000 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, a penny is 97.5% zinc and 2.5% copper, HOWEVER pennies from 1944-1982 are 95% copper.
2007-02-25 10:25:23 · answer #4 · answered by zander1331 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
no a penny is has some iron in it but i do not know the percentage, I did an experiment with the density of a penny a while ago, so I don't remember exactly but there is more iron than copper in a penny.
2007-02-25 10:11:16 · answer #5 · answered by Sc 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, not anymore. Used to be, though. I'm not sure when they started using the composite coins, but I think it was mid to late 80's that they were changed. But if you have copper pennies it is more viable to scrap them.
2007-02-25 10:16:06 · answer #6 · answered by Patrick H 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
a penny is 97.5 percent copper. the other 2.5 is zinc.
U have all those pennies?? Thats great!! Great work. i dont think i could have saved all those pennies. =)
2007-02-25 10:14:21 · answer #7 · answered by Elliott N 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No a penny is 97.5% zinc and 2.5 Percent copper...
2007-02-25 10:16:09 · answer #8 · answered by shaynac 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Not in Canada any more they are bronz mixture and copper plated. the older ones are copper.
2007-02-25 10:17:47 · answer #9 · answered by Jerry G 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋