Because they're 95% copper. Post-81 pennies are mostly zinc, with an exterior wash of copper. I've been hording them for about twenty years, i.e., whenever I get one in change, it goes in a jug.

Junk copper the new junk silver?

I can't tell ya the last time I saw a pre-64 or whatever quarter. That stuff was soaked up 10 years or whatever ago when silver went ape schit.

You know inflation is bad when our lead and copper has become valuable.
I have to correct my information. I thought it was 82 and below that was nearly 100%.

Hmmmmm, I haven't checked scrap copper prices lately, but maybe I should. I've got quite a pile of old copper water pipe out back.

I believe 1982 was the transition year, i.e., some 1982 pennies are 95% copper and the rest are mostly zinc.

half-inch washers are 4 cents each at my hardware store, 5cent if you want zinc or galvanized.

just sayin 😃

Great return on a 40 year investment

Well...why'd they ( we) get off copper in the first place?


I smell Jews.

Heck, you get them in change for a penny each, even today, although that's much more rare now than a few years ago. Gresham's law in action. Too many people, like me, aren't spending them when they get them in change. They're spending the zinc ones instead.

Was over 3.00 last time I went by the junk yard, brass over 2.00. I need to see about selling, got 300 pounds or so of scrap brass

Speaking of silver coins, something that some of you "coin watchers" might not know is that before and during WW II, the nickel was made of zinc. Because zinc was a strategic war material the govt. stopped making the nickel of zinc and changed it to silver. !943 and 1944 nickels were silver.

FWIW.

L.W.

I pick out the "wheaties" other wise they go into the piggy bank. Then just before a long hunting trip, I go to the bank and turn them in. Use that money for gas.

Thanks Hawk, I'll start paying more attention to my change. How often do you seem them? Coming up on almost 40 years old,

Those are 40% silver

Thanks. I'll have to find out which are which and spend the zinc 82s.

It wasn't the nickle,it was the pennies that were steel coated with zinc
http://americancoinnj.com/blog/steel-pennies-wartime-u-s-pennies-non-copper/

I have a separate container for the Wheaties, too.

Nowadays, it seems it's like one in ten is pre-82. Maybe less.

Many have machines that separate copper pennies from zinc using large amounts of pennies from a bank but due to law it illegal to melt them.. No guts no glory!

Have seen pics of people with drums of copper pennies all being worth several times face value... but got to be melted to be sold.

It cost 1.50$ to make and ship a penny in 2016. The copper in a penny is worth double the face value of the coin. The country loses millions every year producing pennies.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penny_(United_States_coin)#:~:text=In%20fiscal%20year%202010%2C%20each,and%201.50%20cents%20in%202016.

Good luck and shoot straight y'all

I've got a bunch of wheat pennies. I add to them when I find them.

i've run out in traffic for those.

I haven't seen one in circulation for 30 years. They gone. In 1980 you could still find them pretty regular.

I had a huge bucket full of pre 82 pennies back in 92. I left for Africa for 2 years and when I got home I discovered my little brother had cashed them in and spent the money. He then tried to convince me that a 5 gallon bucket only held about $5 worth of pennies.

Bb

I still come across one several times a year. I've been putting them in a particular container for thirty years or more, and have a pretty good pile of them. They're still only worth a couple dollars each, at best, though. The rare ones seem to be gone from circulation.

Little brothers will do that.

While we're on the topic of pennies; I have about 50 of the 1943 steel pennies. They were a one year only deal due to war time copper shortages. Wonder what they are worth to collectors these days?

What are wheat penny's worth, I got like $50 of them, I know I know $50

Someone makes a machine that will sort the copper ones from the zinc automatically. A local coin shop had one and for a while it was running all the time. I guess the finally wore out their welcome with the local banks and they stopped selling them bags and roles of pennies.

I bought a $500 bag of 50 cent pieces about 10 years ago from my bank. I sorted through them and found one 40% half. I took the rest back to the bank and they asked me not to do that anymore. I said no problem because it wasn't worth it.

Bb

Just a few years ago, I cashed a check at a bank, and in the change portion they gave me one of those 40% half dollars, the silver in which was worth a few dollars.

Thanks, FishinHank. I should have mentioned they were not 100% silver although I thought the silver content was greater then 40%.

L.W.