Just two minor anecdotes to add to this...and they are related.
Mintmarks were placed into the individual cent dies by hand until (and including) 1989. The integrity of the very thin copper plating on the planchets depended heavily on the design having the proper 'bevel' so the devices would not get stuck in the recesses of the die. Given that the mintmarks were placed by hand, many times they were tilted slightly so as to create a shearing edge along the mintmark. This is why the zinc is most often exposed around the mintmark.
Second thing, I agree with chugly except to say that the zinc cents up to 1990 are the ones that rot will take the best of because of the split plating issue. Any zinc cent 1982-1989 in nice uncirculated grades will eventually be the comparison to the
Indian Head cents of the 1870s (but for different reasons). The comparison is that basically there will be a stretch in the middle of the series where values will be way higher than on either side. My forecast is that this section will be 1982-1989.