Anyone Else Collect Copper Pennies?

[Triple-sod]

Over here in the U.K we have one and two pence coins, that until the early 90's, were made from bronze. From What I heard it

[Patriotic Sheepdog]

I always look for the pre-1983 pennies here. If I find some, I'll put them aside. I don't purposely go buy rolls and sort them though.

[jmsneorrcom]

I always look for the pre-1983 pennies here. If I find some, I'll put them aside. I don't purposely go buy rolls and sort them though.

sorry, pre 1983 pennies are made from whatr?

[Triple-sod]

I always look for the pre-1983 pennies here. If I find some, I'll put them aside. I don't purposely go buy rolls and sort them though.

Na me niether, just put my ones and twos to one side and then check though them when I have a nice pile.

[Patriotic Sheepdog]

sorry, pre 1983 pennies are made from whatr?

Pre-1983 pennies have more copper (95%) then zinc and 1983 and older are mostly zinc (97.5%). Currently a $1.00 worth of pre-1983 pennies is worth $2.98 melt value (http://www.coinflation.com/coins/basemetal_calc.php) while a $1.00 of 1983 or later is only worth $0.66. Of course it is against the law to melt coins. Check out this site and you can see the melt values of coins. http://www.coinflation.com/coins/bas...alculator.html

Hope that helps.

[crossbow]

83s are all junk. Pre 82 pennies are 95% copper, the 82s are about half as they didn't change over til Oct 82. I sort a few hundred dollars worth ever yr and toss the 82 aside then weigh them on a powder scale.they do add up.A brick of pennies($25) will yeild between 15 and 25% copper so it's slow going without a Rydale sorting machine. I get about $25 copper for every 100 sorted or til the local bank gets sick of seeing me because the girls there don't like lifting the bricks.Canadian pennies are also copper before 80.

I figure that someday my heirs will get between $50 and 100 for every $25 brick I've sorted, if not they'll at least get $25, and $25 in copper pennies are worth more to me that 25 paper money. I'll try to sort and save at least 100 copper every yr for the rest of my life.PS, i also collect silver,gold, and all pre 1950 nickles


I get about 5- 10 wheaties from every brick and a lot of other marked pennies but here is the best penny that I've found and it was just after xmas last yr.

[610Alpha]

I keep all pre-83 pennies thanks to an earlier post on this site, i think it was this site. I keep all nickels because of a post by JWR, i think it was him it was on his site for sure. I look for pre-65 dimes and will now keep an extra look out for pre-50 nickels.

I bought a couple of rolls of dimes to sort through but no luck not sure its worth the time, probably just go to the local silver place for some junk silver and save my time for other things.

It was JWR here is the link: http://www.survivalblog.com/nickels.html

[eeyore]

I keep pennies also. I empty my pocket change at the end of the day in a bottle (5 gallon jug). We sort it about once a year or when needed. We get about 100 plus each time.

I keep all pre 83 pennies and nickels. Years ago my wife worked the late shift at a gas station, i would have her look at the quarters that past through the station, she came up with about 10 bucks worth (40) of pre 64 (junk silver) quarters, not bad now for some thing to do when know customers were there.

[Urban Survivalist]

I sort my loose change and keep all of my 1982 and older penny's. I have been lucky to found several 64 and pre 64 silver coins by going thru my change everyday. every little bit helps.

[96thTallarn]

Might I ask why pre 1950 nickels? I know that the "war time nickels" have 35% silver. I was wondering what is special about the post war - 1950 coins? Thanks guys.

[Patriotic Sheepdog]

I own a second business and over the weekend I was there. Well, what do you know, I open the cash drawer and I see a 1957 half dollar. Sometimes it pays to be the owner :-))

[crossbow]

I wonder if who ever was running the cash register would have given it out in change if you hadn't stopped in?

[arcangel911]

I recently got my hands on a 2010 penny, and didn't realize until I looked at it, felt it and weighed it with a 1991 penny, that I knew something was seriously amiss. The weight of the 2010 penny is much lighter that it's '91 counter part. I have a odd suspicion that if this continues, pennies will be even lighter and no longer made of copper.

[Davar]

Today I sorted through 175.00 worth of quarters and the very last one was a 1964! Score hehe!

[crossbow]

I recently got my hands on a 2010 penny, and didn't realize until I looked at it, felt it and weighed it with a 1991 penny, that I knew something was seriously amiss. The weight of the 2010 penny is much lighter that it's '91 counter part. I have a odd suspicion that if this continues, pennies will be even lighter and no longer made of copper.

they have had only 5% copper 95%zinc in them since late 82(Oct.) anyway.