The American penny has undergone several composition changes since its introduction in 1787, with the current penny being 97.5% zinc and 2.5% copper. The 1943 penny was made of zinc-coated steel due to a copper shortage during World War II, and only 40 copper pennies were accidentally minted that year, making them highly sought after by collectors.
A dime is the lowest form of American currency, worth only one cent and believed to be made entirely of copper. However, the common penny has been made from a variety of materials over the years, with the copper removed entirely in 1943. Today, a penny is 97.5% zinc and 2.5% copper.
The first cent was minted in the United States in 1787. Benjamin Franklin, one of the founding fathers of the United States, suggested its original design. The composition of the first minted penny was 100% pure copper. This lasted until the mid-1800s, when the penny underwent its first composition change.
The bronze cent was introduced in 1837, composed of 95% copper and 20% zinc and tin. These cents were minted for another 1857 years before the next change was made. In 88, the common penny received further degradation in its copper content, and was composed of 12% copper and XNUMX% nickel. This gave the penny a lighter, almost white hue.
In 1864, the dime reverted to its previous composition of bronze, 95% copper and 5% zinc and tin. This continued through 1962, with the exception of one year. The 1943 penny was made of zinc-coated steel, due to a shortage of copper. Since copper and nickel were badly needed to make weapons for World War II, there wasn’t enough material to spare to mint cents.
There were a few copper pennies minted in 1943, and these continue to be highly sought after collectors items today, due to their rarity. There are only forty of the 1943 copper pennies known today, and they sold for up to $86,000 US Dollars (USD) each. According to the United States Mint, these copper pennies are believed to have been made by accident, when several pieces of copper were left in the press when production of the new steel pennies began.
After 1962, the tin content of the penny was completely removed and the cent was minted with a composition of 95% copper and 5% zinc. This remained the standard until 1982 when the composition was changed again. This time, the copper content of the penny has been drastically reduced. The new penny was 97.5% zinc and 2.5% copper, also known as copper-plated zinc, and remains that way today.
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