The Most Frustrating Article Ever.

Normal people call them pennies...

We coin collectors are a different breed. To look at it in a different way, the author had to dumb it down for the rabble or the great unwashed as they are also referred to in the upper echelon of numismatica.

Every box, and every roll I get is called "pennies" on it. 25$ Pennies, 50c pennies. Same as a nickel is not called a five-cent piece, nor a half is called a half dollar. Even younger people I have given halves to in payment ask always "is this a 50 cent piece?"

I could find no mention of "the pre-1982 'penny' has a 90% copper content" in any of the text on the page linked to.

I think your knickers may be in a bunch for things that don't matter, just like all the people around here that whimper/whine/moan about penny v. cent, its technical term or value, as opposed to everyday use. Note Webster's dictionary recently changed the definition of "literally" to mean "figuratively" because of its improper use. calling a cent a penny or vice versa is much less damaging to the English language than that. No, it is not damaging at all actually. It hurts no one.

I can see why for ease pre-1982 was used as well since you want to know something is for sure more copper, its pre-1982, want to know it isn't then post-1982. If someone then asks, well 1982 had both, so unless you want to weigh everyone of them the people keeping copper can just throw every 1982 back and they have lost little to nothing. Without a shadow of doubt a pre-1982 will be higher copper content for each and EVERY coin (save for 1943), 1982 pennies will be what percentage of them is even copper? 30% of all the ones made that year? 40%?


I saw the article in questions is a joke period, but I find nothing wrong in its information, it gives general ideas in a conversation format that is easier to digest and simple enough to understand for even people that didn't know current pennies aren't copper. It gives people not in the know a new angle to look at things and reference points to research if they choose to. Still a joke article, just rounded for conversation sake. rounder to 90% if that in fact does exist somewhere in it, and rounded to guaranteed "90%" copper as opposed to 2.5%.


EDIT:


oh. I see it now. I was searching the entire thing for 90% a number, and it was the only thing a CTRL+F search didn't give to me as I skimmed. After reading the first bit I wasnt really interested in continuing to read the article. Its format is not something I care for, I prefer authors to talk to ME, the reader, than just whatever podcasts things are supposed to be. Still a joke article with no point to exist except to transcribe the audio, and still just a matter of rounding it seems.

Like when the Mint calls a current penny:
2.5% Cu (copper)
Balance Zn

It really means:
1.71371% Copper
Balance zinc-copper bronze alloy

Since I couldn't tell you who NPR is before or after reading t5he article, do they only do podcasts, or do they have anything else to reference? Like somewhere that has Coin Facts on the site that someone can easily check the incorrect information?

Also do you do podcasts? I don't and don't see why they are popular, but do you the format often? I think it might be a fluff piece from just two people talking. Probably missed their audience if you liked them and they completely went rogue with this piece.

I will be honest the page design makes it hard to read the transcript, and I won't listen to the audio, so will take your word for most everything present, which your first post said, they were inaccurate.

It may just be a case like your favorite uncle at holiday time sent you the best gift for many years, then this year he sent you socks and underwear and you were hit in the face like, "Wait...what...why?!"

IF you like them it shouldn't stop you from still reading other things by them. Too bad you cannot comment to further point things out, but it could be the fact they were made a fool of in the comments or the age of the "article" that prevents anyone from commenting to point it out. Do either of the people have a follow-up or can you just mail them and ask like the editor of the (what is NPR? like a magazine, publicist?), well ask someone.

Who knows; you could be the next person on a podcast to talk about something!

Either way, you are passionate about the hobby and that makes you one of the MOST serious collectors. Enjoy your coins/notes and dont at the people out there that are glaringly wrong. Just try to educate those you know about the things you can, and ponder still how those other "coins" look anything like "waffles".

Exactly. By the way, I didn't listen to it, I just read the transcript.

After I clean them and drill a hole in them, I call them 'washers'.

The term 'penny' actually predates the first large cents by about 1003 years- the penny, Old English penning, was introduced c. 790 by king Offa of Mercia, in central England, and have been produced fairly constantly since. People just call American cents pennies because when they were introduced, everyone was used to using British currency.

This is hilarious, coming from the person who is always getting his kickers in a bunch over everything, whether it matters or not.