Does anyone know if the pennies in the 1982 souvenir sets are copper or zinc or did some sets get a random mix?
Some information in this Coin Week article. From what little I can find, it looks like the 1982 souvenir sets included zinc cents, but someone else may have more information.
That's an interesting question. i would think that they probably had to be made very early in the year, because they would be needed for sale to mint visitors in early January. So I would suspect they would be copper.
I checked my own 1982-dated Philadelphia and Denver Souvenir Sets and they both contain 95% copper cents. My combined Krause-created sets for 1982 also have 95% copper cents. It would be interesting if any of these 1982 sets contained zinc cents.
I do not have a camera or scanning capabilities, so I have attached the hypertext of two similar sets for sale on eBay for review: https://www.ebay.com/itm/1982-Denve...146085?hash=item4b6d3b3d65:g:OIoAAOSwkYZdrflv https://www.ebay.com/itm/1982-1983-...bcAAOSw1yFc4A~j:sc:USPSFirstClass!31059!US!-1 I hope this is helpful information.
The 1982 and 1983 Mint sets are not from the US Mint. There are a third party called Krause Publications. The US Mint did not make Mint sets for these years.
The set in the second link he posted are Krause sets and they are not from the US Mint, but the set in the first link WAS made by the US mint. They were sold in the mint gift shops and not on their mailing lists. (and I think the price on that 82 Denver souvenir set is a very good price)
Your answer made me ponder about copper 83's in the souvenir sets. Then thought the mint started zinc in late 82. The minds a terrible thing to waste on what ifs. Thanks. I used my brain today. Hope i get to use it again tomorrow