1982 Copper/Zinc Penny Scale

thingiverse

I found inspiration for this project from https://www.cointalk.com/threads/a-guide-to-1982-lincoln-cent-identification.55647/. My family has been collecting coins and we struggled to determine easily which 1982 pennies are 95% copper and which ones are mostly zinc. This balance will solve that problem once and for all. Simply place a 1982 penny onto the scale and if it tips, it's a copper penny. If it remains suspended in mid-air, it's a zinc penny. Two photographs show an old 1964 penny and a 2014 penny as examples. Lincoln cents from 1981 and earlier are made of copper (except war pennies). On the other hand, all Lincoln cents from 1982 onwards are mostly zinc. Now you can collect coins with renewed enthusiasm!