It reacts with solutions of hydrochloric acid or ammonia containing oxygen. It can also dissolve in a mixture of hydrogen peroxide and hydrochloric acid. This makes copper(II) chloride. It does not dissolve in weak acids.
Vinegar and other weak acids such as citrus juice dissolves this layer of copper oxide. After soaking the penny in the acid, rinse it with clean water and you'll be left with a shiny penny.
It turns out that vinegar is an acid, and the acid in the vinegar reacts with the salt to remove what chemists call copper oxide which was making your pennies dull.
Value $1.7M Composition 95% copper, 5% tin and zinc Year issued 1943 Notes Today, pennies are made from copper-coated zinc.
Then mix together 1/4 cup of vinegar and 1-2 teaspoons of salt in a bowl that can hold all your coins. Submerge your coins in the solution for a few minutes, rinse them in warm water to remove any vinegar (which could corrode the coins if left on them) and then polish them clean with a cloth or paper towel.
The Cu2+ in the salt/vinegar solution reacts with the zinc metal and causes zinc metal to dissolve. When zinc dissolves, zinc goes into solution as Zn2+ ions. Reaction 2 is observed because zinc is higher up on the activity series of metal than copper.
Let the pennies sit for 20-30 seconds.The vinegar and salt duo will act fast, so there's no need to leave them in for too long. As the pennies soak, you should be able to notice the dark colored tarnish and other gunk melting away from the copper before your very eyes.
Can You Melt Pennies and Nickels? Because of the rising price of nickel and copper that began in 2005, the United States passed a law that made it illegal to melt pennies and nickels for their metal content. Replacing these coins would be an enormous cost to taxpayers."
If you chose to strip it, you will end up with 90 pounds of copper don't forget 10 pounds in plastic waste and in today's market you will get $1.90 per pound for stripped copper wire so your 90 pounds will net you $171.00 difference of $21.00 between stripping it or selling the way it is, just want to mention one thing
Copper Pennies Are Worth More Than Face ValueIn general, all pennies made before 1982 have a composition of 95% copper and 5% tin and zinc – with the exception that during some of those years, there was no tin in the alloy. Also, there was the steel 1943 Lincoln cent (and 1944 steel pennies, which were made in error).
Blow Torch MethodYou can also use a blow torch to melt the copper scrap. However, you will only be able to melt a small amount of copper scrap at at time and you will have to pay for the blow-torch fuel.
The alloy remained 95 percent copper and 5 percent zinc until 1982, when the composition was changed to 97.5 percent zinc and 2.5 percent copper (copper-plated zinc).
If you want to melt copper at home, you'll be pleased to know you don't need an industrial induction furnace to do it. If you're only melting small amounts of copper, you can do it with a blowtorch or on a stovetop. You may use it for home crafts or melt it into ingots for storage.
Specifications
| Composition | Weight | Thickness |
|---|
| Copper Plated Zinc 2.5% Cu Balance Zn | 2.500 g | 1.52 mm |
1. You want to focus on hoarding pre-1982 U.S. pennies, which contain 95% copper content, making the coin at least twice as valuable as its 1 cent face value. (Post-1982 pennies are not worth collecting, as they contain only 2.5% copper content -- the rest is zinc.)
You may be able to “sell” them to a bank at face value, but individual banks get to decide the terms under which they'll accept them. Your best bet may be to offer them as “unsearched copper cents” to collectors, but for post 1958 coins I'm not sure there are a lot of buyers.
“The Philly small-date zinc cents bring the most money – they're the toughest, and I'd pay $30 per (50-coin) roll for those in uncirculated. The copper small-date cents are also tough, but they're not worth as much.” He says rolls of all the other 1982 cent varieties are worth $2-4 in uncirculated grades.
1944 Lincoln cents as a whole, though, are quite common and can be had for about 10 to 20 cents in most circulated grade. Uncirculated specimens can be bought for around $5 each.
Current Precious and Base Metal Bullion Spot Prices:
| Type Description | Metal Content | Melt Value |
|---|
| Type Description | Metal Content | Melt Value |
|---|
| Indian Head Cent Bronze Comp. (1864 - 1909) | 95% Copper - 5% Tin and Zinc | $0.0235 |
| Lincoln Wheat Cent Small Cents (1909-1958) | 95% Copper - 5% Tin and Zinc | $0.0235 |
#2 – Other Copper Pennies That Are Valuable
- 1960 Small Date, worth $1.50.
- 1960 Large Date, 3 cents.
- 1960 Small Date Over Large Date, 3 cents.
- 1960-D Small Date, 3 cents.
- 1960-D/D Small Date Over Large Date, $100.
- 1969-S Doubled Die Obverse, $10,000.
- 1970-S Small Date, $25.
- 1970-S Doubled Die Obverse, $2,500.
Yes – depending on their age, and the market price of the metals they're made of. In 2006, the soaring price of copper made these coins worth more as scrap than their face value. But be warned: it's illegal to melt down coins of the realm.
Approximately 40 1943 copper–alloy cents are known to remain in existence.
1943-S copper Lincoln Wheat Penny, $185,000 – The 1943-S copper cent is the one of the most valuable small cents, with one example having sold for a cool $1 million at an auction in 2012.
1943 Bronze Lincoln“The most valuable Lincoln cent sold privately in 2010 for $1.7 million,” said Stone. In order to preserve copper for the war effort, the U.S. Mint switched to making pennies from zinc-coated steel planchets, instead of the usual bronze coin blanks, Stone explained.
CoinTrackers.com has estimated the 1943 D Steel Wheat Penny value at an average of 45 cents, one in certified mint state (MS+) could be worth $12.
If your Lincoln Memorial penny has a date before 1982, it is made of 95% copper. If the date is 1983 or later, it is made of 97.5% zinc and plated with a thin copper coating. For pennies dated 1982, when both copper and zinc cents were made, and best way to determine their composition is to weigh them.
They are worth about 10 to 13 cents each in circulated condition, and as much as 50 cents or more if uncirculated.
Most wheat cents (wheat pennies were minted between 1909 and 1956) are worth about 4 to 5 cents. Those in better condition can have double-digit value. Special examples (especially those in near perfect condition) can be worth much more. And pennies dated from 1879 to 1909 are worth at least $1.
This is because 1983 copper Lincoln Cents can be worth thousands of dollars each, even in circulated condition. Update 2017: For example, in 2013 a 1983 copper Lincoln Cent graded PCGS Mint State 62 Red-Brown sold for $23,500 through Heritage Auctions.
The Rare 1943 PennyThe reason is that the 1943 copper penny is an error coin. The United States Mint accidentally used the wrong kind of planchet metal when striking the coin. But very, very few of these left the U.S. Mint facilities.
