1998 silver penny

I have a 1998 silver penny. I scratched itand underneath was silver. And it weighs 2.6. And is not magnetic. Any thoughts

 

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Not silver . . . . zinc.

Z

 

Cents minted in 1998 are made of copper plated zinc planchets. What you are seeing is the copper that was compromised, and it is showing the inner zinc. So your Cent is not made of silver.

Zinc has a silvery color to it.

Here is an example..

Also, there are no magnetic coins. Cents such as the one minted in 1943 on steel planchets are Ferromagnetic. That means that they are attracted to a magnet.

 

pick, pick, pick...

 

I used to be magnetically attracted to America Ferrera about 10 to 15 years ago . . . . .

Z

 

If you take any cent minted after 1982 and strike it with a hammer, the micro-thin copper coating will fall away and you are left with a zinc (silver color) cent. Betcha that’s what you got.

 

Wait?
You scratched it?

 

I cringed little when I read that. I'm a retired teacher. Several years ago one of my students showed me a "counterfeit" quarter he had received in change from a vending machine. He knew it was counterfeit because the fake color would not scratch off. It was a previously uncirculated, now completely scratched over silver quarter. Fortunately not a rare date, and at least still worth silver content.

 

So it's not special, worth money?

 

Thank you all for your response

 

One cent. Nothing more.

Z

 

Yes.. still 1 Cent

 

It’s zinc snd I have one from every mint since 1982 when they first started to mint them.