Following on from my previous post about the nickel and pre-1982 penny being the most valuable coins when judged by the metal content metric I received the following email from my ‘Loyal Correspondent‘.
Dear Lord Sidewalker,
In your post dated January 6th 2010 you stated that the pre-1982 penny was worth 2.2 cents due to it’s make up of copper content. Well let me inform you that the switch in alloys for the manufacture of the penny actually took place at some time in the middle of 1982, thus making your statement at best flawed at worst patently wrong. I was previously in awe of your coin knowledge, but now find myself questioning the very faith that I put into your written missives.
Your Loyal Correspondent
LS: Well my corresponding friend, allow me to try to redeem myself. It is true my statement was incorrect, there are some predominately copper 1982 pennies, as well as the modern zinc core 1982 pennies. How do you tell them apart? You need a very delicate piece of high tech machinery! Not really, you just need some scales. The copper penny will weigh in at 3.0g and its younger zinc cored sibling will weigh in at a svelte 2.5g . I hope this clears up any remaining doubts in your mind as to my coin knowledge!
Hopefully this will conclude my coin nerd posts for at least a couple of weeks…
-Luke Sidewalker
-Current balance $26.06
