I was going through my 1980 Lincoln cent pile when I came across a 1982 no mint mark that weighed 3.1 grams. I did some refresher research because I remembered there being something about the small date 82 lincoln cent that weighed more than 2.5. I really would like to confirm that I have the correct number 2 in the photo below. All my other 3.1 gram 1982s have a different 2 in the date. Thank you in advance for any help
It is small date. They were made in both copper and zinc. The rare one is 82-D Copper Cent = 3.110g +/- 0.130g Steel cent = 2.689g/2.754g +/- 0.130g (Heavier weight produced in late 1943) Zinc Cent = 2.500g +/- 0.100g A brief history: The composition of the Lincoln Cent (except for 1943 when the cent was zinc coated steel and except for 1944–1946 when the composition was brass [“shell case copper”] 95% copper, 5% zinc) up to 1962 was 95% copper and 5% tin and zinc (this composition is also seen in the uncirculated version of the 2009 Lincoln Bicentennial One Cent Program). In 1962 the cent’s tin content, which was quite small, was removed. This alloy of 95% copper and 5% zinc remained until 1982 when the composition was changed to what is commonly called copper plated zinc. Cents of both compositions appeared in 1982 (some 1982 cents were actually struck in 1981). “The first zinc-based Lincoln cents were struck at the West Point Mint on January 7, 1982. These coins, along with 1,587,245 business-strike zinc cents made at the San Francisco Mint that year, do not contain mintmarks; the Philadelphia Mint would take up production of the new zinc cents early in the year as well. However, the Denver Mint did not strike the new zinc pennies until October 21 - a little more than one month after the U.S. Mint decided it was time to create a new obverse master hub that resulted in a smaller-sized date.” (Coin Week) This Zinc Alloy from 1982 is actually Zinc Alloy 190 electroplated with 8 microns of copper. (ALTERNATIVE METALS STUDY Contract Number: TM-HQ-11-C-0049 FINAL REPORT August 31, 2012 by Concurrent Technologies Corporation, Submitted to: United States Mint, Page 1, Section 1.1) ALLOY 190: COMPOSITION (% by Weight) Lead = 0.005 max; Iron = 0.010 max; Cadmium = 0.005 max; Copper = 0.7 to 0.9; Zinc = Balance. (Jarden Zinc, 8/12/2015)
Hi Imho, This thread has all the information you need The 1982 Lincoln Cent circulation release was as follows: 1982 -Dhttps://www.cointalk.com/threads/a-guide-to-1982-lincoln-cent-identification.55647/)
So is there any monetary incentive for collecting the whole 1982 series of pennies. I have many of the whole set except for the elusive 1982 d copper.
