Hi there. A couple weeks back, I picked up my first Lincoln Cents - Official Whitman Coin Folder, Collection Starting 1975. I then spent the next 6 hours checking the years on all of my pennies from my penny jar. I am pleased to report, I was able to fill the entire Coin Folder, all from the pennies I already owned. [This is the first coin folder I own of any kind! I'm a newbie!] Something confused me though. In 1982, it appears a number of different pennies were made, using different materials. How in the heck am I supposed to know which penny is made from which material? Please tell me it's real easy to do... Thank you, Mr. Shilo McDonald Just some guy who had an almost filled nice sized penny jar just begging to be opened up and sorted.
There are different wayts to tell. The most scientific way is to weigh them but the less scientific way is to drop them on a table and listen to the ring. You'll get more of a 'tink' sound from a zinc coin but the copper (really bronze) coin will have a nice ring. Sometimes I have a hard time hearing the ring over the clatter of the coin bouncing on the surface of the table so I'll flip it in the air, just like you would think of when flipping a coin, and a bronze coin will ring from my thumb nail hitting the coin where a zinc coin will not ring. I should add that if I felt a coin could have value I would not use the non-scientific tests.
Lol! I just bought that album like 3 weeks ago, and I had the same problem with determining which 1982 is which!
I weigh mine, but I had to buy a scale that weighs down to fractions of an ounce. The older copper cents weigh 3.11 grams, and the newer zinc cents weigh 2.5 grams.
It's really easy. Balance them on a pencil or something. There is a huge weight difference. You can feel the difference after you do it a while.
That approach has been discussed here, also. If you go that way ( weigh ? ), I suggest using a ruler to make it easier to verify your fulcrum is in the middle and the coins are equal distances from it.
There are eight common types 1982 cents. 1982 Large Date Copper 1982 Small Date Copper 1982 Large Date Zinc 1982 Small Date Zinc 1982-D Large Date Copper 1982-D Large Date Zinc 1982-D Small Date Zinc 1982-S Large Date Copper Proof Copper coins will weigh 3.11 grams. Zinc coins will weigh 2.5 grams. Here is a Large Date: Sorry, I don't have a picture of the Small Date, but they look quite different when viewed side-by-side. The Large Date has a straight diagonal on the "2", and is somewhat misshapen. (as seen above) The Small Date has a curved diagonal on the "2" and is thinner, more perfect. All of the obverse lettering on the Small Date is thinner and more distinct.
The way I determined the difference was to take mine to my coin dealer. Took him about a minute to sort them out for me.
ROTFL The other option is to buy a complete set of the 82's. You should be able to get a set of BU's for about $10.
I like this idea; it's really thinking outside the box. Taking it one step further, I could fill out my Harris folders a lot quicker by ignoring all the dates, too !
And if too many folks who look at it get too critical (“How come ya got a 1995 quarter in da 1961 hole ?”), I can simply install the coins with the date side down.
