Pennies, Canadian

In the US, all pennies (cents) were copper before 1983 and copper-coated zinc thereafter.

Would any of our friends to the North happen to know when Canada went to the cheap (zinc) cent coin, or are they still solid copper ?

They all LOOK copper, but the newer ones are just plated zinc.

Leonard

Here's a snippet from www.pennycollector.com:

"Canadian pennies prior to 1997 were approximately 98% copper and 1.75 % zinc. From 1997 to 2001, Canadian pennies were modified and were minted as copper-coated zinc wafers. A recent scanning electron microscopic examination of a 2001 Canadian penny indicated approximately 96 % zinc. Today's one-cent coin, modified in 2001, should be made of copper-plated steel (94% steel, 1.5% nickel, 4.5% copper)."

One thing I have to know though, Leonard, is why do you care?

I seek out "real" copper pennies

Put a few in a base full of Tulips and it will keep them from drooping (for a few days anyway)

This is what we are learning about in Science at the moment. Money and the % of gold used in coins etc etc *sigh*

The price of copper has gone through the roof this year. If you collect enough real copper pennies, you can probably get more for them than they're worth as money at a metal recycling place.

Loveys, I have a workshop, and "tinker", and I will occasionally need a copper washer for some particular application, and I recently needed one with a 1/4" hole in it, and went to a nut and bolt store and they wanted .25 for the washer, and I told the guy, "It's sort of like a penny with a hole in it, isn't it?", and I took a penny and drilled a hole in it and used it.

I have since been saving copper cents for whatever application needs a copper disc of around 3/4" dia., and found a Canadian cent today with a 92 date, so now that I know Canadian cents up to 97 are solid copper (almost), I will save them along with the US ones up to 82.

Thanks to everyone for the input, you've been a real help.

Leonard