Interested In Hearing Your Top Top 5-10 List Of Zinc Pennies To Hunt

From Volume 2 of Coin Iding for Dummies (Vol 1 below) soon to be up here (almost done!) here's my list of what I look for in the Stinkin Zinkins:

LMC DATE/MM CHEAT SHEET
COPPER-PLATED ZINC 1982-Presen

DATES ` TYPE AREAS TO CHECK

1982P(zinc) DDR E PLURIBUS UNUM and UNITED
1983D-1989D RPM Rotated MM, watch split plating issues, higher Mag.
1983P DDR Strong ONE and other devices
1984P (2) DDO Double ear & Date, WE TRUST and upper hairline
1988P & D Trans FG on reverse with G crossbar (1989 die)
1989P & D Trans FG on reverse w/o G crossbar (1988 die)
1992P&D Trans CAM's (93 rev)on rev. AMERICA (P=very rare!)
1993P&D Trans WAM's (92 rev) on rev. AMERICA(all very rare)
1994P&D DDR Doubling in bays, many varieties
1995P&D DDO Major and minor, LIBERTY, IGWT
1997P DDO Doubled ear and beard
1998-2000(P-only) Trans WAM's on rev. AMERICA
2002-2004(D only) DDR E PLURIBUS UNUM, all 3 years
2010P-2017P Clash Check each by cartwheeling

NOTE: On 1998-2008 P & D's for the hardcore searcher there are boatloads of
doubled images of Seated Abe and surrounding columns, tiny work!

I don't even save any others (see other post) unless have BU rolls of them, and then have to check for zinc rot infestations. Bad apple spoils the bushel rule.

Don't save rotten ones.

Most of the best coins will be found in mint sets but BU rolls can be good for some dates. All pre-85 coins must be removed from mint packaging because it is unstable and will ruin the coins. It's probably best to remove later ones as well.

Look at coins from various sources to get a feel for what was made. Coins in circulation are a very good cross section of all coins made.

Not the greatest video but it's short and can describe better watching this that me explaining. Notice how the luster rolls in circular motion as the coin is turned.

Another quick question about condition. Should I not search any zinc coins that are not in overall great shape? For example should I look for any 1998-2000 WAM coins if the front is scratched up and getting into the very circulated category? Does that change if looking for something rarer like the 1992 CAM?

If you do save the nicer stinkin zinkins, look through them every year at least to remove those sleepers that are rotting or have spots/split plating issues. This will just infect the adjacent coins, ruining a bunch.

This goes for ALL CRH rolled coins up to KNOWN initial from bag or certified mint issue coins(these may have escaped contamination). Once exposed to ANY physical contact, body oil, air, humidity will all have delitrious results eventually. ONLY protection is to cleanse via acetone, this MAY help remove contaminants, but is no 100% guarantee of a long term problemless coin!