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Sound technical content, curated with aloha by
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Pine Beach, NJ

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What is a penny made of?

penny United States Mint image

I REALLY need to know if a penny is made of zinc and copper alloy, if not what is. Also What's a metal whose 2+ ions form blue aqueous solutions?!?! Help VERY much appreciated.

Josh
What a penny is made of - Atlanta, Georgia, America
2004

Brief answers:

Pennies are copper plated zinc.

Cupric ions (Cu+2) forms blue aqueous solutions (like CuSO4).

James Totter, CEF
- Tallahassee, Florida
2004

Curiously enough, Canadian pennies are made of steel coated with copper. So the Canadian penny has joined many of its brethren in being magnetic.

Lee Gearhart
metallurgist - E. Aurora, New York
2004

Hi, Josh. Getting back to U.S. pennies --

Since 1983 they are made of a zinc core with a thin plating of copper on them. Before 1982 they were solid copper (not 100 percent pure copper, but solid through and through). 1943 only, they were a steel core with a plating of zinc (which means pennies from that year were magnetic). Good luck.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
October 30, 2008

Q. Why were pennies made?

Kathryn l
student - windlake wisconsin us
November 10, 2009

A. Hi, Kathryn. People got tired of trying to keep track of who owe who a fifth of a nickel or three-fifths of a nickel and wanted a coin they could put in their pocket instead. At least that's my 40% of a nickel's worth.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
November , 2009

Thank you so much! Your answers and site were extremely helpful.. and filled with fun facts!

Joy Douglass
- Sellersville Pennsylvania USA
April 25, 2011

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