1982 Pennies

I would try a safer technique and it is this. Take a popsicle stick (cleaned off of course) and tape or glue a known zinc penny to one end. Balance it on a pencil or some other object and use it as a primitive scale. If the penny is the 95% copper variety, then the other end will go all the way down due to the weight difference. I've tried the drop and listen method and it all sounds the same to me...lol.

I would try a safer technique and it is this. Take a popsicle stick (cleaned off of course) and tape or glue a known zinc penny to one end. Balance it on a pencil or some other object and use it as a primitive scale. If the penny is the 95% copper variety, then the other end will go all the way down due to the weight difference. I've tried the drop and listen method and it all sounds the same to me...lol.

As noted this is the safest way. Dropping a coin on a hard surface to hear the difference in sounds is nuts. If your a coin collector then you should know adding one or more dents, dings, etc to a coin is not beneficial to that coin. If you are wealthy enough to not care, then consider others.
To elaborate on the popsicled stick method, if you use a six sided pencil it is easier to balance the stick. Also, place a drop of glue on that balance location to maintain the same place. I don't suggest tape since it adds to much weight and can come loose or allow movement.
If you use a silicon type adhesive, it can be pealed off later in case you want to reuse the stick to make more popsciles.
Just kidding, maybe. I ment on the coin so you can reuse that.
Also, note you can do this method in reverse by attaching a pre 1982 cent to one side. Then any cent (penny) placed on the other end will only balance if it is also the Copper one. If the Zinc one, the stick will not move.
Oh, one more thing about dropping coins to hear the difference. A large amount of older people just can not hear that well. Many, many people exposed to loud noises all the time also are a little tone deaf.

Man, you guys make everything so difficult, you remind me of my girlfriend. All you have to do is flip the coin, and the copper will have a distinct ring to it, the Zincoln will make no noise at all. Do it over the carpet incase you drop one. I sorted about 40 '82s in a matter of a few minutes the other night. Just turn up the ol' Belltones gramps!

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You guys would probably kill me if I told u I sometimes use a blunt object to hammer coins into the folder.

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I take a couple junk coins and use the one to push the other into the hole, then pop it out and put the correct one in. It helps the correct coin go in easier. Sometimes I think I might need to use a hammer and a punch to get some of those babies in there.

I'm 19

that's just not fun

Well, if you do not mind damaging the coin, get a knife, scrape a deep line on the coin, then put your finger on the line for about 10 seconds, if the line stays copper colored its copper, if it turns black, its zinc.

Man, you guys make everything so difficult, you remind me of my girlfriend. All you have to do is flip the coin, and the copper will have a distinct ring to it, the Zincoln will make no noise at all. Do it over the carpet incase you drop one. I sorted about 40 '82s in a matter of a few minutes the other night. Just turn up the ol' Belltones gramps!


Turn up the Belltones? Nice expression, thanks. Some of us old people just can't hear the difference in tones as we could when we were young. Nothing to do with being DEAF. Just getting old. And as to flipping a coin to hear a ring. Why bother when you too could be in error. Not even all young people have great hearing.
Do you have a nice comment for the people that are blind? How about a nice statement for the ones that don't have fingers?