Good way to make money?

pretty shure its not 100% copper

worth a try though

did you know tha tin 1945 copper was in such sort supply that the US government released a set of wooden pennies

pinnies are a nickle core with copper plating i beleive. plus i think it would take more than 300 pennies to make a pound

The mass of a penny has changed throughout the years. The first Lincoln cent was produced in 1909 and had the wheat ears pattern on the reverse side. The composition of the penny was pure copper from 1793 to 1837. Then following that, it was made of bronze, and in 1857, it was made out of copper. In 1943, the content of the coin was changed to zinc coated steel because of the copper shortage during World War 11. Before 1982, pennies were 95% copper and 5% zinc. Then after 1982, the compostion was 97.6% zinc, and 2.4% copper. So this means that the pennies made before 1982 will have a different mass from those made after 1982.

thats basically the same concept as burning a dollar bill. its not really the most legal thing

zinc aint worth shit

definately not 100% copper like they used to be. They're lined with a verrrry thin layer of actual copper

hahaha ur so ghetto, u know ur precious matals

how many pennies in a lb?

im gona go cut a penny in half with a pair of tin snips to see what it looks like on the inside, ill report back in a couple minutes

Years Material

1982–present 97.6% zinc, 2.4% copper
1962–1982 95% copper, 5% zinc (about 3.04 grams)
1944–1961 bronze (95% copper, 5% zinc and tin)
1943 zinc-plated steel
1864–1942 bronze
1857–1863 87.5% copper, 12.5% nickel (also known as NS-12)
1837–1856 bronze
1793–1836 copper

The cent's composition was changed in 1982 because the value of the copper in the coin started to rise above one cent. Some 1982 cents use the 97.6% zinc composition, while others used the 95% copper composition. In 1943, at the peak of World War II, cents of zinc-plated steel were made for a short time due to war demands for copper. A few (the U.S. Mint reports forty) copper cents from 1943 were produced from the 1942 planchets remaining in the bins. Similarly, some 1944 steel cents have been reported. Following 1943, salvaged ammunition shells made their way into the minting process, and it was not uncommon to see coins featuring streaks of brass or having a considerably darker finish than other issues.


1974 aluminum cent from the Smithsonian.During the early 1970s, the price of copper rose to a point where the penny almost contained more than one cent's worth of copper. This led the Mint to test alternate metals, including aluminum and bronze-clad steel. Aluminum was chosen, and over 1.5 million of these were struck and ready for public release before ultimately being rejected. About a dozen aluminum cents are believed to still be in the hands of collectors, although they are now considered illegal, and are subject to seizure by the Secret Service. One aluminum cent was donated to the Smithsonian Institution.

The price of copper later returned to profitable levels. The Mint did not need to change the cent's composition again until 1982.

As of June 29, 2006, the price of copper is $3.42 per pound and zinc is $1.50 per pound. At these prices, the pre-1982 copper cent contains 2.204 cents worth of copper metal; it is now potentially profitable to melt them down. Presumably with the rapid rise in price for zinc (more than doubled in the last six months), the US Mint will have to find another alternative. Just the scrap zinc in a cent is worth 0.9 cents. With the costs of manufacturing and distribution, the net cost to produce one cent is about $0.0123, significantly higher than the face value of the coin.

the point being yes if you can find and melt down a buch of pre 1982 pennies then yes you could make some money but for it to be worth your while (like to make a few 100 dollars ) you would need like a hundred pounds worth.


do the math
a penny ways 2.5g ther are 28 grams in an ounce 16 ounces in a pound. so that means for 1 pound you would need 179.2 pennies. but wait pre 82 pennies are still only 95% copper so you actually need 188.63 penies to get a pound of copper. so we will say it costs abot $1.89 per pound in pre 1982 pennies, current price of copper per pound is around $7 (give or take) so if you want to go through the hassle you will make $5.11 per pound. it is a whole lot of effort you might as well just sell crack.

this reminds me of the seinfeld episode when kramer wants to drive to vermont to get 5cents a glass bottle bottle.

ok pimpen is tha best way to make money not pennys

right lil_g?

That or selling rocks

or get yo hoes to sell ya rocks

quite the thread