1982 Lincoln?

quote:

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Dropping them is by far the easiest and most reliable way to tell the difference.

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I dont see how that is more reliable than a digital scale? I guess I look at it like this...if you drop the coin you can cause some minor damage (possible nick or contact mark where it hit whatever surface), plus depending on how the coin bounces you might have to chase it if it rolls away on the floor. The digital scale works reliably 100% of the time, and is valid, and can be used for verifying weights on other coins as well (for confirming they weigh what they shold and are not counterfeits).

This is the procedure Coppercoins is talking about as outlined for The Cent Project

They are easy to differentiate without a scale--all it takes is a good ear. Using a hard surface made of wood or glass, drop a known copper cent (up to 1981) and listen for a distinct high-pitch ring sound. Then drop a known zinc cent (1983 to date) on the same surface and listen...no ring. It sounds more like you would expect lead to sound when dropped. Sort of like a 'thud'. Do this a few times and you should get the hang of it.

A better method, the one I used when I was a kid, is to let the coin hit a glass surface then drop a couple of feet to a pillow or the carpet (to cushion the fall). This will give your ears a couple of seconds to adjust and listen for the sound. Sometimes just dropping them against a table isn't enough for some people.

Drop it off the Empire State Building. If the coin blows back up into your face, it's zinc. If it drops all the way down, it's copper and you lost it.