I want to use pennies made after 1982 to make something, but am wondering how long they can be handled (for example, one made into a keychain) without the zinc starting to rot through. Is there anything I can coat them with to protect the thin copper coating? Thank you. All ideas are appreciated and welcome
It seems kind of obvious to me that since there are plenty of '82 and later pennies out there floating around and still in circulation, and since they haven't rotted away, that it wouldn't be necessary to coat them with anything. I mean the '82s have lasted 30 years now, so just how long do you want them to last ?
Is there a specific reason for wanting to use post-1982 pennies? It's probably cheaper to use pre-1982 pennies instead of coating post-1982 pennies. However, if you absolutely are set on this, maybe talk to Thad about VerdiCare.
