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1982 Pennies


Gump

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I can't tell the differences between the 1982 pennies. I have a ton of open slots for them, with the variations being denver and philli mint, AND large & small dates, then being made of either zinc or copper! that's a ton of variations....and i have a ton of 1982's....and i can't tell which is which!

 

please help! ahh! i can't really see what the difference is date-size wize, even under mag. glass....and how can i tell if it's copper or zinc?

 

i'm so lost.

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Hi Gump

 

The easiest way to tell the difference between copper and zinc, is by weight!! the copper will be heavier.

 

the large date and small date are really pretty noticeable ,and can be seen with out magnification,

 

sort them by composition then by mint mark for each composition and then check the dates you will be able to tell the difference when you see it .

 

Rick

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Yep, I agree with Metalman - weight is definitive. You can even build a little balance with a popsicle stick and something for a fulcrum and use a pre-1982 as the 'heavy' standard (3.11 gms) against the zincolns (2.5 gms).

 

Also, here is a comparison photo that I made a while ago - the difference gets easier to tell with a little experience.

 

1982sl0mz.jpg

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Or, you could take the easy way out like I did, many coin shops sell packs of all 7 varieties in BU for just a few dollars (I never had the patience for the balance trick). You should still be able to tell the difference between the LD and SD pretty easily (I think I have a roll of 1982 SD somewhere).

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I've postd this here before, as well as a few other places, but no one seems to ever take me seriously.

 

Balance the coin on the tip of your finger and gently tap it with another cent. If it rings like a bell it's copper. If it just gives off a dull thud it's zinc.

 

Much easier than messing around with popsickle sticks and duct tape.

 

Of course if the coins are MS you might want to take some precautions...

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