I respectfully submit what you are describing is illegal. This is why it is a moot point. That said, Michael K taught me that the copper in these is not grade A copper and if you forged ahead (no pun intended) and illegally melted them, you would only realize 1/2 cent each from the smelter. Spark
I don't doubt that in the least and is certainly something folks wishing to profit from cents should explore. The greater point still stands in that such people need to do their homework before simply taking what coinflation type sites claim as unquestionable fact, and this is particularly true for those already paying premiums when purchasing them. Thanks for the explanation of "chill scrap".
There are always people who sell coins on eBay for $.99 and free shipping. Some people buy them just to get shipping. I see that the lowest BIN for a UNC-BU 1982 copper sm. dt. is $1.65, so you could sneak in and list yours for $1.50 depending on how nice yours is. If it has most of its original luster left, that is a good thing. https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_fr...kw=1982+copper+small+date+cent&rt=nc&LH_BIN=1