Is a 1982 penny copper or zinc?

Both were struck. Copper is about 3.1 grams. Zinc is about 2.5 grams. The date alone does not decide melt.

The split year

1982 penny — copper or zinc

1982 is the only year the Mint struck both 95% copper cents and copper-plated zinc cents for circulation. Weigh it. About 3.1 g is copper. About 2.5 g is zinc.

1981 penny 95% copper ~3.1 g 1982 penny Weigh it This page 1983-on penny Zinc, copper-plated ~2.5 g

Do not price a 1982 penny from the date alone. Large-date and small-date varieties exist in both metals. The scale decides the melt page.

Copper 1982 cents match the 1959–1981 Memorial copper spec. Zinc 1982 cents match 1983-on. Zinc melt is almost nothing.

A jar of mixed 1980s cents is mostly zinc. Pull the heavy ones if you care about copper melt. Collector premiums on cents are usually the real money, not the scrap.

Full spec and quantity math: Lincoln memorial cent (copper) · Lincoln cent (zinc) · Identify · US silver by year

Lincoln memorial cent (copper) $0.0425 melt · copper

Lincoln cent (zinc) $0.0009 melt · copper

1982: copper is ~3.1 g. Zinc is ~2.5 g. Open the matching type after you weigh it.

If you want to sell Find a shop near you

A local coin shop can look at what you have. Melt may not be the whole story — dates and condition matter.