![]() With the addition of the 1982-D Small Date copper penny - which was made at the Denver Mint and has a “D” mintmark - there are now 9 known 1982 penny varieties. Not including the 1982-D Small Date copper penny, the changes in composition and modifications to the appearance of the date means there are 8 other types of 1982 pennies: The 1982 West Point zinc pennies have no mintmarks - so they look like Philadelphia pennies and can’t be distinguished from them. The first zinc Lincoln cents, or Zincolns, were minted at the West Point Mint on January 7, 1982, and the last official business-strike copper pennies were made late in the year. Treasury was back to work on creating a cheaper metal for the penny - and the copper-plated zinc composition was born. ![]() Yet, only a few short years later the debate rose again as copper prices soared. There were worries that the aluminum pennies wouldn’t show up on X-rays if they were swallowed by children, and the vending machine industry took aim at the new penny - which they claimed wouldn’t work without expensive overhauls to equipment across the country.Ĭopper prices also temporarily dropped, and the 1974 aluminum penny didn’t stick around. While many were given to congresspersons and others for inspection, they were soon recalled when government officials decided the coins weren’t going to become official. The Mint struck more than 1.5 million 1974 aluminum pennies. Treasury and Mint developed a less-expensive type of penny, and aluminum became the metal of choice. Less than a decade earlier, in 1973, the U.S. This wasn’t the first time the Mint had traded copper pennies in for a less-expensive type of penny. The US Mint switched from copper (more specifically, brass) to copper-plated zinc pennies - due to rising copper prices. The 1982-D Small Date copper penny is known as a transitional error coin since it was minted from copper during a year when the United States Mint was beginning to make zinc pennies. Where did the valuable 1982 copper penny come from - and why is it so rare? ![]() That said, copper and zinc pennies don’t always weigh those exact amounts. ![]() 1982 zinc pennies weigh about 2.5 grams.1982 copper pennies weigh approximately 3.11 grams.Here’s how to tell the difference between a 1982 copper penny and a zinc penny: The most efficient, foolproof method is to check them each on a coin scale - which you can buy at a local big-box retail store or online for less than $20.Ĭhecking the coin’s weight is the easiest way to determine whether a penny is made from a copper-based (brass, in this case) alloy or the copper-plated zinc composition that virtually all other 1982-D Small Date pennies are made from. You’ll also need weigh all of your 1982-D pennies. So, if you find a 1982 D penny, keep it!Īnd remember - the “D” mintmark from Denver MUST be under the date! If there’s no D mintmark on your 1982 penny, there’s no chance that it’s the rare one (sorry!). If you’re diligent, you might find a 1982-D Small Date copper penny or another valuable error coin like it. The average circulated 1982 penny is worth 2 to 3 cents or less - so most people don’t think of these old pennies as having much value. Only two have been discovered so far, but relatively few people take time to really search their 1982 pennies, too. You’re probably wondering if it’s easy to find a rare 1982 copper penny like this Small Date variety. How To Find The Rare 1982-D Small Date Copper Penny Of course, you’ve got to know what you’re looking for - because to the unaided eye, this rare penny might not look or feel any different than the highly common zinc 1982-D Small Date pennies. In other words, this rare and valuable 1982 penny looks just like any other ordinary 1982-D Small Date penny you might find in your spare change.Ĭan you imagine… a penny worth $10,000 just floating around in circulation? Both coins have light wear and were found in circulation.
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