post 1982 Cents

Since the 1982 and later Cents are made of a Zinc (99.2% Zn, 0.08% Cu) core plated with 100% Copper, and Copper is relatively soft, it seems that by now there would be a number of 25 year old Cents with the Copper plating worn off and with the Zinc showing through. I haven't seen any; has anyone else?

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

long befor the plating would "wear off" a small hole will wear through and the zinc core will start to rot. I have seen many that have rotted from the inside out with the exception of one small hole.

richard

 

Also in order to wear out they would have to circulate. But the cent doesn't really circulate that much. Mint to bank to store to customer to hoard where it sits for many months or years, to bank to store to customer to hoard where it sits for many months or years, and so on. The cent spends 95% or more of its life sitting in a can or jar in someones bedroom, not circulating. Go find an 82 cent in you pocket change. What is the grade? AU-50? Maybe XF-45? Find an 82 quarter, made of a much tougher metal, and what does it grade? VF-30? The quarter is a workhouse coin, the cent barely moves.

 

workhorse*

 

That is the truth. Compare modern Lincoln Cents vs Indian Head Cents. IHCs circulated. They were used extensively and therefore are commonly found with a great deal of wear. The only circulation modern Lincoln Cents see is cashier to customer to pocket and from pocket to drawer. A hundred years ago a cent was an important coin and actually bought something. Today a cent is seen as worthless and not worth carrying in one's pocket.

 

I don't know how much do you get paid? In my case workhouse may be more appropriate.

 

I have seen some cents with zink poking through the edges, but mostly from scratches.

Also to take Hobo,s post a bit further, look at the progression of wheat cents. The early (circulated) wheats are found worn down to almost nothing. Then look at wheats from the 40,s and 50,s. They are still found in circulation in vf or better.

 

All valid points. However the plating is pure copper, which is relatively soft, while the earlier cents were much harder brass or bronze. It just seems to me that 25 years should be time enough for a few cents to have worn through their plating.