Can someone help me determine what the small date and large date look liike, and how to determine copper or zinc cents, weight perhaps? Thanks.
If you put a small date next to a large date, you'll instantly see the differnce. Look especially on the 8, it's very much larger on a large date. As for zinc/copper, weight is the only way! You need to find somebody with a really sensative scale and weigh each one. I think zinc is 2.5 grams (if I remember right, I'm at work with no books) and copper is slightly heavier. I guarantee you'll know LD vs SD when you see it! ~AJM
ajm229 is correct, but I thought it would be easier to post a couple pics since I have them on hand. As you can see, the large and small are quite different looking. 1982 Lincoln Cent Large Date: 1982 Lincoln Cent Small Date: Here are the two dates side by side: Also, according to Red Book, the weight of a copper cent is 3.11g while the zinc cents weight 2.50g. I hope that helps a little. :thumb:
Hey, thanks, Richie! I'm at work right now, and don't have access to my own pics. And, hey! I was right about the weight of zinc cents! AJM
Bounce a pre 82 cent on a table and then do the same for a post 82. Listen to the ring and you should have an idea about which is which. I know it sounds odd and you wouldn't want to do it with anything nice but it works.
I know it's not strictly true, but I've found in general that most of the large dates I've bothered to weigh are copper, and most of the small dates I've bothered to weigh are zinc.
I herad that if you cant fins a sensitive scale u can just take a pencil and a popsicle stick and put the pop stick on top of the pencis in the shape of an "X". Of course the pencil would have to be the square sided ones i think with 6 sides?...anyways and weigh them that way...never tried it but i heard it works....Good Luck! Peter
That's what I like to call the PITA way. (PITA = Pain in the [gluteus maximus]) It's way easier to just find a scale and weigh them properly.
Actually, it's not that bad. I use a popsicle stick. I put on a pre 82 penny on one side (you can tape it on if you like), and then position the stick over something and find a spot where a copper penny will tip it and a zinc penny will not. Then just mark it and you can fairly quickly go through a bunch of pennies. Of course, you're right that it's easier to go get a scale. But if I want to find out now what I have and not wait a day or two till I can get to a scale, it does the trick fine.
