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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;davidh, post: 403254, member: 15062&quot;]This is from the Treasury&#039;s web site:</p><p><br /></p><p><i>Production of the war-time cent was provided for in an Act of Congress approved on December 18, 1942, which also set as the expiration date of the authority December 31, 1946. Low-grade carbon steel formed the base of these coins, to which a zinc coating .005 inch thick was deposited on each side electrolytically as a rust preventative. The same size was maintained, but the weight was reduced from the standard 48 grains to 42 grains, due to the use of a lighter alloy. Production commenced on February 27, 1943, and by December 31, 1943, the three Mint facilities had produced 1,093,838,670 of the one-cent coins. The copper released for the war effort was enough to meet the combined needs of 2 cruisers, 2 destroyers, 1,243 flying fortresses, 120 field guns and 120 howitzers, or enough for 1.25 million shells for our big field guns.</i></p><p><br /></p><p>The daimeter of a penny is .75 in.&nbsp; The total surface area (two sides) is ~.88 in^2.&nbsp; A coating .005 in thick is equivalent to .0044 in^3.&nbsp; Zinc weighs 117 grams/cu in, therefore, the zinc coating on the penny weighs .51+ grams.&nbsp; The total weight of the steel penny is 2.7 grams so the there is .51 grams zinc and 2.91 grams iron with a miniscule amount of carbon and other misc impurities.</p><p><br /></p><p>Interesting factoid: the 1943 cents are the only US coins ever minted for circulation that contain no copper.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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