The average circulated 1982 penny is worth 2 cents or less — so most people don’t think of these old pennies as having much value. If you’re diligent, you might find a 1982-D Small Date copper penny or another valuable error coin like it. So, if you find a 1982 D penny, keep it!
Are there any valuable 1982 pennies?
Which 1982 Penny Is Worth The Most? The most valuable 1982 penny is a transitional error caused by the move from 95% copper to 99.2% zinc composition. It’s the 1982-D “small date” Lincoln Memorial cent made from copper.
Why are pennies different after 1982?
The cent’s composition was changed in 1982 because the value of the copper in the coin started to rise above one cent. Some 1982 pennies used the 97.5% zinc composition, while others used the 95% copper composition.
What makes a 1982 penny so valuable?
So for the past 30 years, pennies have been made with an alloy comprised of 97.5% zinc and 2.5% copper, but pennies minted before 1982 are 95% copper and 5% zinc. The price of copper has more than quadrupled over the past 10 years. So a penny produced before 1982 is worth 2.2 cents based on the metal it contains.
Why did they change pennies from copper to zinc?
Once it was hard to tell a penny from a dime… In 1943, copper was needed for war materials, so pennies were made out of zinc-coated steel. Because the color was silvery, it was easy to mistake a penny for a dime.
What makes a 1982 D penny rare?
Newly found 1982-D Small date copper cent. The Mint switched over from striking copper-alloy to copper-plated zinc planchets sometime in mid-1982 as a cost saving measure – the copper-alloy planchets were too expensive to strike and the Mint was losing money.
What was the price of a penny in 1982?
How much is a penny worth on eBay?
On eBay, a lot of 5000 pennies has a face value of $50, but it will sell for $60. “The coins before 1982 in uncirculated rolls, they’ll probably see in 15 or 20 years, those rolls could double or triple in value,” Mirr said.
What kind of copper is used in pennies?
“The price of copper moved up so much during the late 70’s, they no longer could afford to use copper as the main base metal,” said Ron Mirr, Owner of Liberty Coins. So for the past 30 years, pennies have been made with an alloy comprised of 97.5% zinc and 2.5% copper, but pennies minted before 1982 are 95% copper and 5% zinc.
Why was there a shortage of pennies last year?
The fear — a coin shortage, and the cost to replace those coins. Last year, the U.S. Mint made more than 4 billion pennies, each one costing 2.4 cents to create. “Because of the price of base metals getting more expensive, I could see them eventually probably doing away with the penny,” Mirr added.
