A Penny Carving Questions

[Marcus Hunt]

Well chaps, I made a strange discovery this day. I've seen a few of you carvers out there have had a ago at carving pennies so I dug out some of my old US change and found a few. Copper plated coins?????? I think I've seen it all now! As my graver dug into the copper I was amazed that the chip came out silver! This was a 1999 coin.

Could someone tell me when the US started minting s*** metal pennies? I cut into a '79 penny with no problems. Are pre plating coins still in circulation?

cheers
Marcus

 

[ihsfab]

Yes the new ones are mostly made out of a alumimunim. I don't keep up with the all the coin stuff so I don't know the cut off year for when they started.

Kulley

 

[DanM]

Actually US pennies after 1982 are mostly zinc with a copper skin. link to metal content and dates of US coins.

http://ddo.typepad.com/ddo/currencies/index.html

 

[Bob Bullard]

Marcus
If you would like I have some copper pennies you can have if you send me your address . You can email me at rlb4301@sbcglobal.net
Bob

 

[Ray Cover]

I made a great find on ebay on time. Well one of the times.

I bought a whole roll of 1958 uncirculated wheat pennies. Still in the wrapper. never seen the inside of a pocket or the light of day. They all look like the day they were coined.

I have been saving them to do some penny carving engraving with. Well you know the story. Just haven't had the time.

Ray

 

[Bill Brockway]

Marcus -

American pennies have changed content all over their history:

 

[Bill Brockway]

Sorry, hit the wrong key and it got sentt before I got it written. The history of American pennies is approximately as follows:

1793 - 1835 - copper
1837 - 1856 - bronze
1857 - 1863 - nickel bronze (NS 12)
1864 - 1942 - bronze
1943 only - zinc plated steel
1944 - 1961 - bronze (zinc and tin)
1962 - 1982 - bronze (zinc only)
1982 - 2006 - zinc core, copper plated

Bill

 

[sam]

When the Mint changed to copper plated zinc pennies in 1982, it was because there was more than 1-cent worth of copper in a penny.

Hey, I have an idea. I've been wanting to have a Cafe engraving contest, and this might be a fun way to kick it off. Would any of you be interested in participating in a penny engraving contest? It might be fun. If I get enough interest I'll flesh out some rules and get it kicked off. / ~Sam

 

[Robert Morales]

GREAT Idea. As long as you have a catagory such as.. "At least ya' tried!", I'm in.

 

[Mike Cirelli]

Ya that's a good idea but your not allowed to participate.
Disclaimer; "All relatives or employees of the Engravers Cafe are not eligible" But I would think one of yours would be Ok for an avatar for the thread.
Mike

 

[ihsfab]

Marcus, sorry my mind is like swiss cheese most of the time I knew there was something other than copper in the middle.

Kulley

 

[sam]

Ya that's a good idea but your not allowed to participate.
Disclaimer; "All relatives or employees of the Engravers Cafe are not eligible" But I would think one of yours would be Ok for an avatar for the thread.
Mike

Tira's working on some details for a contest. And you're right...we're not allowed to participate. I hope you make one Mike! / ~Sam

 

[Bill Brockway]

Marcus -

Some more (and probably unnecessary) penny lore: The Lincoln head penny came into being in 1909. Prior to that, the penny had an Indian head in a feather headdress. As a pre-teen kid (early 1930's), I can remember receiving Indian head pennies in change. Not many, but a few. Wish I had kept some. They are probably quite valuable by now. For years, I used one as the string button on my spiking top. Drilled a hole in it to insert the string.

During World War II, I can also remember the zinc coated steel pennies. Occasionally, you would find one rusted, but they would spend, just the same. They only lasted one year. Nobody liked them.

In 1959, the Lincoln Memorial was added to the back side of the Lincoln penny, making it the only U.S. coin to show the same person on both sides (if you look carefully, you can make out a statue of Lincoln inside the Memorial).

Ahhh, trivia!

Bill

 

[Steve Adams]

Sounds like fun Sam, there is such an array of talent here. Are you leaving yourself out? Does this mean anyone engraving for a living should observe but not participate? Steve

 

[sam]

Sounds like fun Sam, there is such an array of talent here. Are you leaving yourself out? Does this mean anyone engraving for a living should observe but not participate? Steve

Steve: we're working up a set of rules for a contest which will include beginners to professionals. I think it's only fair that the people hosting the contest exclude themselves. I think this could be great fun. What do you think? / ~Sam

 

[Steve Adams]

Yep, figure this thing out Sam. Maybe you should make a posting to see how many would actually participate. If there are enough people interested, make a deadline far enough out that there would be no stress to get one completed. I would be happy to do a penny, or be a judge for that matter if you need another. Steve

 

[Big-Un]

I've been wanting to try my hand at coins anyway, and I was going to use a penny to play with, so this sounds good. I watched Brian Hochstrat engraving on one in Rex Pedersen's GRS class loast year and thought it was so cool. Count me in, definitely in the "at least I tried" category!

 

[Brian Hochstrat]

Yeah, I was trying some scroll cutting on that penny in Rex's class, but I have'nt had time to do any since. A little friendly competition gives me a good excuse to play with another one, hopefully its better than my first. Looking forward to it.

 

[Darren]

That would be fun.

 

[hmw]

Sounds like fun........could someone loan me a penny???