I read an article online that said someone sold a small date 1982 penny for $19,000 and claimed it was very rare. So naturally I spent a whole afternoon searching my giant box of penny’s and I actually found two! Excitedly I emailed a coin dealer and he responded that it’s not worth anything. What’s the deal? Are they valuable or not? They don’t seem to be as rare as the internet makes them out to be. If my pennies really turn out to be the 1982 Small Date am I sitting on a small gold mine, or should I say copper mine?
Post photos of your coins and their weight (use a gram scale that goes out to at least two decimal places, 0.00 g). Once you've done that, you will receive honest opinions on your coins. This is the difference between large and small dates.
They made 17 billion pennies in 1982. In the last 36 years, there is 1 single 1982-D small date copper (which is the wrong metal, as it is supposed to be zinc). You don't have anything. They are worth 1 cent each.
Welcome to Cointalk It's a fun hobby but do alot research and don't believe everything you hear or see on YouTube.LOL Dave
I will weigh them tomorrow at work and repost with a picture. Am I understanding correctly that the only way it’d be rare is if it truly is copper and not zinc, and that the likelihood of that is very slim?
Great question. I have some 1982 that weight 2.50 g and another one 1982 penny that weight 3.11 g. When I weight the 1982 D penny the scales shows 3.13 g. I have no idea what to look for anymore. LOL. Any explanation or feedback will be appreciated it. Thank you.
Don't bother to weigh it unless it has a D mintmark and the 2 looks exactly like the small date @rickmp posted above. BTW: Denver minted over 6 Billion (with a B!!) cents in 1982. In the last 37 years, only 1 1982-S small date on a copper planchet has been found. ONLY 1 out of 6 Billion. To put that into perspective, it's only 1 in 272 Million to win the Powerball lottery and that pays oy a lot more
Look at the post from @rickmp above. Does the 2 look like the large date or small date. It's pretty straight forward.
Thank you, is a little confusing since some collectors are saying that is possible that 1982 pennies errors can be possible just not known yet and has to be found. Do you believe this to be true?
The mint made 7 business strikes by the billions 1982 Copper LD 1982 Copper SD 1982-D Copper LD 1982 Zinc LD 1982 Zinc SD 1982-D Zinc LD 1982-D Zinc SD ALL OF THE ABOVE ARE COMMON Only 1 1982-D Copper SD has been verified in the last 37 years. That's 1 of 6 Billion struck!!!
Please take this advice: stop looking for the copper 1982-D cent. You will not find one. Spend your time on something with a chance of actually happening.
They did. Wow. I guess I should start looking too. Can you guys come over and look through all my cents, I think it's too boring to … @paddyman98 can search my "Bi"-centennial quarters too .. you never know about those drummers boys …