Odd Weight for a 1982 penny

Discussion in 'US Coins Forum' started by James Miller, Aug 15, 2019.

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  1. James Miller

    James Miller Lost Boy

    I have been sorting my 1982 pennies into 2 piles. I have my copper (3.11Gram) pile and my zinc (2.5Gram) pile. I have gone through hundreds of pennies and they all clearly go into one pile or the other. I recently found one penny that weighs 2.82Grams

    This is outside of the tolerance for both the zinc and the copper penny...

    There is no obvious wear to account for a weight loss, nor is there any amount of gunk that could add weight.
    I know in 1982 the mint switched from copper to zinc.
    Could this be some transition in the actual material?
     
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  3. cpm9ball

    cpm9ball CANNOT RE-MEMBER

    First, welcome to the neighborhood!

    Have you checked the thickness of the planchet? I'm not sure how thick it is supposed to be, but we have had people post coins with a thick planchet before.

    Perhaps @paddyman98 can show you a specimen from his error collection.

    Chris

    PS. I hope you're not hoarding your pre-82 Lincolns just for their copper content! If you are, you're wasting your time.
     
    paddyman98 likes this.
  4. James Miller

    James Miller Lost Boy

    The thickness seems the same as all of my other pennies. However, upon measuring I find it to be slightly thin. 1.42-1.46mm when it should be 1.52mm
    Again, no noticeable wear. Doesn't seem like that accounts for the weight difference completely. If is is copper and thin, I would calculate about 2.9grams (worst case). Still lighter than that.
    PS I'm hoarding my pennies memories.
     
  5. paddyman98

    paddyman98 I'm a professional expert in specializing! Supporter

    That would be a Copper plated zinc cent.. Weight is well within tolerance.
     
    Brina likes this.
  6. James Miller

    James Miller Lost Boy

    The tolerances I see would not go to 2.82grams. I'm wondering now, if it is an american penny stamped on a canadian penny planchet...
     
  7. Michael K

    Michael K Well-Known Member

    Tolerance is +/- .13 2.98-3.24
    Used to be the same for zinc, but someone here said it was changed to .10
    so that would be 2.40-2.60 for zinc.
    At 2.82 it could be a slightly thinner rolled planchet on the copper.
    Photo of both sides and usually you can tell the difference between copper or zinc.
    It is not on a Canadian planchet. They have their own mint and a 1982 Canadian is 2.5 bronze. (We didn't make coins for them, as we do other countries.)
     
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  8. paddyman98

    paddyman98 I'm a professional expert in specializing! Supporter

    What year is your Cent?

    Forget about canada at the moment.. It has nothing to do with your Cent.

    Also.. Show us a picture!
     
  9. Clawcoins

    Clawcoins Damaging Coins Daily

    Since there's no picture yet; my reply is PMD, split plating and zinc rot.
    ;)
     
  10. James Miller

    James Miller Lost Boy

    Not sure what a pic is going to show, but see attached. 1982 penny at 2.82grams
    image1.jpeg image2.jpeg image3.jpeg
     
  11. James Miller

    James Miller Lost Boy

    Also, I know there is a history of America minting coins for other countries. Also, Canada mints coins for other countries. There are plenty of cases that have been found of Canada printing on the wrong planchet. So right now, I am thinking someone had some leftover 1981 Canadian Planchet that was used to make a 1982 American Penny. That would account for everything. Unlikely, so convince me otherwise. The tolerances on pennies do not allow 2.82grams. I checked multiple times.
     
  12. James Miller

    James Miller Lost Boy

    1982 zinc penny should weigh: 2.4-2.6Grams
    1982 Copper Penny should weigh: 2.98-3.24Grams
    My penny weighs 2.82 which lines up with a 1981 Canadian penny perfectly.
    The dimensions match a canadian penny perfectly as well.
     
  13. paddyman98

    paddyman98 I'm a professional expert in specializing! Supporter

    No.. It's a normal Cent within tolerance.. Coins are not printed they are minted/struck.. Paper currency is printed with ink.

    Buddy I have been collecting errors for 34 years. Read all you want but your Cent is not struck on wrong planchet.
     
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  14. paddyman98

    paddyman98 I'm a professional expert in specializing! Supporter

    What are you checking?

    It was a slightly thinner than normal copper planchet That would make it lighter.
     
    Last edited: Aug 15, 2019
  15. paddyman98

    paddyman98 I'm a professional expert in specializing! Supporter

    Here are 2 from my collection that weigh less than yours!
    thin1.JPG 2591926-009+(1).JPG
     
  16. cpm9ball

    cpm9ball CANNOT RE-MEMBER

    You've already stated that you have searched hundreds of pennies. Please do us a favor and come back when you have searched billions of pennies with the same result.

    Yes, the US Mint has been known to produce coinage for other countries. There is also a belief that more than one assassin shot Kennedy, the Chernobyl disaster was a cover-up to steal weapons-grade uranium and the Rat Pack was in cahoots with the Mafia in Las Vegas. But, until you can come up with solid proof, you're just guessing.

    Chris
     
  17. Conder101

    Conder101 Numismatist

    No it is not. Max tolerance weight for a zinc cent is 2.6 grams so it is NOT well within tolerance.

    Your figures are correct and it is out of tolerance for US standards. As for it being on a Canadian planchet, how would that have gotten into the US Mint? The only way I could see that happening would be if Jardan Zinc was also making planchets for the Canadian mint and somehow a Canadian planchet got into the US Mint shipment. But I don't know of Jardan making planchets for Canada, so the mostly answer is a planchet cut from copper strip that was rolled very slightly too thin. I say copper because the coin is closer to the copper minimum weight than it is to the zinc maximum weight. This is one case where the ring test would be useful because the "thud" of zinc is much different from the ring of copper.
     
  18. James Miller

    James Miller Lost Boy

    You guys would be so much more helpful if you weren't too full of yourself.
    I'm well aware that coins are not printed.
    I've been collecting my entire life, and just I didn't realize you had to "search billions" before you ask a question on a forum...
    Either it is a Canadian planchet or a thin planchet. I didn't know which one is possible or common. In your own condescending way, I think you "helped". Seems like this is just a "common" thin planchet minted...
     
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  19. James Miller

    James Miller Lost Boy

    thank you Conder101
     
  20. paddyman98

    paddyman98 I'm a professional expert in specializing! Supporter

    Yes I already realized that. I also stated that it could just be a rolled thin planchet and showed 2 examples feom my collection that are lighter ;)
     
  21. paddyman98

    paddyman98 I'm a professional expert in specializing! Supporter

    It is just a thin planchet. All you had to say is Thank You.

    I'm done with this thread.. Time for my coffee break!

    Peace :angelic:
     
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