1982 Lincoln Small Date What's The Difference Between Copper Or Brass

Anyone know how to tell the difference between the two ?

 

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The only sure way is to weigh it. A copper ones weighs 3.1 grams and a zinc one weighs 2.5 grams

 

It weighs the copper, but there also a brass, which weighs the same as the copper . There's a big difference in the price guide between the two .

 

Hey Rick how do you tell the difference between the brass and the copper.

You made a statement there that caught my attention that said that there's a price difference on them.

 

A bronze ( Red ) at ms-65 is worth 60 bucks .
http://www.pcgscoinfacts.com/Coin/Detail/146020

A copper ( Red ) at ms-65 is worth 1 buck .
http://www.pcgscoinfacts.com/Coin/Detail/3047

I thought it was brass, but it's bronze .

 

From what I have seen copper cents can be referred to as "bronze" cents or even Zincolns being called "bronze" plated instead of copper plated. They are the same coin.

Here is what I know. I worked in a bronze art casting foundry for many years. Bronze is a mixture of copper and tin. As far as I know there is no tin in a Lincoln cent. Has anyone ever run a test on one to see if there is any?

 

Notice how they both list composition as 95%copper and 5%zinc. I don't get the difference.

Edit: On second look the cheaper one is a1982P SM Date Zincoln. You can see the gas bubbles in front of his forehead and some behind it as well. Some on the reverse too.

 

This is the first small date, copper, I've found in the change and know nothing about the difference between the two ( copper or bronze ) .
I also think it's a DDR too ..

 

Here is a link with a list of Lincoln Cent compositions.
http://www.coin-collecting-guide-for-beginners.com/lincoln-cents.html

 

Thanks for the link, but it's no help .
I know that zinc weighs 2.5 grams and copper weighs 3.1 grams .
The real question is : " What's The Difference Between The Copper & Bronze " . They both weigh the same " .

But, I also think it's a DDR and none have been found for the copper or bronze, small date .

 

http://m.pcgscoinfacts.com/Coin/Detail/3045
At the bottom of the page it gives you the metal composition.

 

Both ( copper & bronze ) are the same, 95% copper & 5% zinc .

 

Bronze is almost all copper, with a bit of tin. 1982 was the transition year for cents, when they went from solid copper, to plated. I was not aware that the plating was different from the old cents composition. The weight difference is due to the zinc core on the plated cent being lighter.

 

I think this will be a new DDR .

 

Just sloppy use of language. Copper should mean pure copper. Bronze should mean an alloy of copper and tin that may contain other metals. Brass should mean an alloy of copper and zinc that may contain other metals except tin, if it has tin then it is a bronze not a brass.

Collectors tend to use all three somewhat interchangeably, hence leading to confusion.

 

What had me puzzled, was the price difference in the price guide .
It's all crazy, goes with the territory ..

 

This is a confusings Nomenclature for the one cent piece.
Copper cent = 95% copper + 5% zinc, which is really a copper alloy. [Brass]
Bronze cent = 95% copper + 5% zinc and Tin, which is bronze.
As far as I can tell the U.S. Small Cents have never been made from Copper [pure].
Almost always made of Bronze. Both Bronze and Brass are considered
a "Copper Alloy".
Someone will say " I found a Copper Penny" when in reality they found a
"Bronze Cent". I never heard anyone say "I found a Copper Alloy Penny".
This nomenclature can become most difficult when talking of 1982 Cents because
of the two different metals. Which is Bronze and Copper Plated Zinc.
I don't know if this will help anyone, But it helped me to write it. If I have any of tis wrong, please let me know. Thanks.

 

I stand corrected. They did make bronze cents. Thank you @alurid I learned something new today!!

Looks like the last year the Lincoln Cent was made of bronze was 1962. So everything after that would be copper (brass)

 

How do they differentiate between a brass and bronze 1982 small date cent?

 

They don't. Simple answer is a 1982P Small Date Bronze does not exist. A lot of Lincoln cents were bronze before 1962. Some had a composition of 95% copper and 5%tin and zinc. These one with the tin are bronze. Mix Copper and Tin and you get Bronze. All LWC's from 1909-1942 had this composition. They used this composition again after WWII for all Lincoln cents up until 1962.

After 1962 All LMC's until 1982 were composed of 95% copper and 5%zinc. These are Brass. Without Tin there can be no Bronze. However mix Copper and Zinc and you get Brass.

Starting in 1982, and part of the reason there are so many varieties of 1982 LMC's, they changed the composition to 99.2%zinc and .8% copper and plated these with pure copper. Again no tin means no bronze. This composition is till in use today.

I know PCGS lists a 1982P Small Date Bronze. However their price guide calls it around a $50 coin in MS65, if I remember right. Don't you think if this coin was struck on a planchet that hadn't been used on an LMC since 1962 it would be worth a whole lot more?

I hope this clears this up somewhat.