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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Clinker, post: 805231, member: 6229&quot;]Did you know every Proof coin, except one, (singles &amp; those in sets) ever struck by a U.S.A. Mint contains copper? Do you know not all USA coins struck for circulation contain copper? Which has the most copper? Which the least? Only one USA business strike coin does not contain any copper, which one is it?</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>All Half Cents and all Large Cents were 100% copper, thus the 27mm (approx. size) Large Cent contains more copper than any other USA coin.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Copper-nickel Flying Eagle Cents, Indian Head Cents (1859 - 1864) were composed of .880 copper (including proofs). 1864 Cents were minted in both copper-nickel and bronze.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The bronze Indian Head Cents from 1864 through 1909 (business strike and proof) were composed of .950 copper, .050 tin and zinc.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>You may be thinking about the Two Cent coin. They are bronze also, thus the 23mm coin has only .950 copper and .050 tin and zinc.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>You may think the Trime (Three Cent Silver) doesn&#039;t have any copper in it, but you&#039;d be wrong. The Trime is composed of (1851 - 1853) .750 silver, .250 copper; (1854 - 1873) .900 silver, .100 copper.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Even the nickel Three Cent Pieces have a copper-nickel composition (.750 copper, 250 nickel.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Surely, one believes, Nickels don&#039;t have any copper in them. Yes they do: All nickels (Shield, Liberty Head, Buffalo and Jefferson) contain .750 copper and .250 nickel except for the war time (1942 - 1945) Jefferson Nickels which were made of .560 copper, .350 silver and .090 manganese. Only the 1942-P was struck in proof. </p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>There is no Half Dime, Dime, 20 Cent piece, Quarter, Half Dollar or Dollar without some copper in it (proof or business strike). Now you think I made a mistake, because I didn&#039;t exclude Gold Dollars nor the special struck 2000-W 22 Karat Gold Sacagawea Dollar.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The 22 Karat Gold Sacagawea Dollar is self-explanatory in that pure gold is 24 Karat meaning that the 2000-W Sacagawea is made up of a mixture of gold, silver and copper. Besides that, it wasn&#039;t minted as a business strike or a proof.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>As for the early gold coins (Dollar, Quarter-Eagle, Half Eagle, Eagle and Double Eagle the compositions are as follows:</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>1849 - 1889 Dollar / .900 gold, .100 copper. Being only 13mm in size and weighing only 13 grams it is the USA&#039;s coin containing the least amount of copper.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>1796 - 1834 with motto Quarter Eagle (2 1/2 Dollar) / .9167 gold.0833 silver &amp; copper</p><p>1834 no motto - 1929 Quarter Eagle / .900 gold, 100 copper.</p><p>1854 - 1889 - Three Dollar / .900 gold, .100 copper</p><p>Gold Stellas (4 Dollar) were never struck for circulation or in proof.</p><p>1795 - 1834 Half Eagle ($5) /.9167 gold, .0833 silver &amp; copper</p><p>1834 - 1838 Half Eagle Classic Head / .8892 gold, .1008 silver &amp;copper</p><p>1839 - 1929 Half Eagle / 900 gold, .100 copper</p><p>1795 - 1804 Eagle ($10) / .9167 gold, .0833 silver &amp; copper</p><p>1838 - 1933 Eagle / .900 gold, .100 copper</p><p>1849 - 1933 Double Eagle ($20) .900 gold, 100 copper</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>I hear you, &quot;You missed the 1943 Cents!&quot;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>You are right, I omitted the Lincoln Cents from 1909 to date.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>1909 - 1942 Bronze Lincoln Head Cents (.950 copper, .050 tin &amp; zinc including proofs minted at Philadelphia</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>1943 Lincoln Head Cents are composed of steel coated with zinc. Since no proofs of the 1943 cent were minted, the coins struck for circulation are the only USA business strike coins without any copper in its composition.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Since 1944 through part of 1982 Lincoln Head Cents were of the same composition as 1909 - 1942, let&#039;s jump to the latter 1982 to 2008 composition:</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The core is 99.2% zinc, 0.8% copper plus a plating of pure copper on business strikes and proofs.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>If you&#039;re thinking, &quot;What about the commemoratives?&quot; Let me remind you that no USA commemorative coin was produced for circulation. Some were released into circulation because, not all that were minted, were purchased as a souvenir (that&#039;s what happened with the 1892 &amp;1893 World&#039;s Columbian Exposition Half Dollars). Souvenir prices were $1 each at the World&#039;s Fair (Columbian Exposition) in Chicago. All those, not sold at the Exposition, were later released for circulation at face value. Note: all USA commemoratives are legal tender coins at face value. As for the USA commemorative &quot;proofs&quot; involvement in this post here&#039;s the composition:</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>1892 - 1954 Silver Half Dollars / .900 silver, .100 copper.</p><p>1893 Isabella Silver Quarter / .900 silver, .100 copper</p><p>1903 - 1926 Gold coins / .900 gold .100 copper</p><p>1982 - Date Silver coins / .900 silver, .100 copper</p><p>1933 - Date Gold coins / .900 gold, .100 copper</p><p>1986 - Date Copper-Nickel coins / .750 copper, 250 nickel</p><p>1989 - Date Clad coins / 92% copper, 8% nickel</p><p>2000-W Bimetallic $10 Library of Congress commemorative / Core is .9995 platinum, Ring is .9167 gold, .0300 silver, .0533 copper</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>What about proof Bullion coins?</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>1986 - Date Silver Eagles / .9993 silver, .0007 copper</p><p>1986 - Date Gold Eagles (all sizes) / .9167 gold, .0300 silver, /0533 copper </p><p>1997 - Date Platinum Eagles (all sizes) .9995 Patinum and <b>is </b>the only proof coin without copper in its composition.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Remember all USA bullion coins have face value legal tender status in America.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Hope you weren&#039;t bored with this post...</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><br /></p><p>Clinker[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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