U.S. Mint's 1982 Lincoln Cent Composition Changes Highlighted in Numismatic News
Numismatic News has highlighted the seven circulating varieties of 1982 Lincoln cents, emphasizing the significant changes in their composition during that year. Historically, the Lincoln cent's composition remained largely consistent, with notable exceptions like the 1943 steel cents. However, economic pressures from rising copper prices in 1982 forced the U.S. Mint to make a critical decision. Rather than discontinuing the cent or incurring production costs exceeding its face value, the Mint opted to change its composition. This resulted in a shift from a predominantly copper alloy to one composed of 97.5 percent zinc and 2.5 percent copper, with the copper serving as a plating to maintain a 'normal' appearance. This change, coupled with date modifications, led to the creation of various 1982 cent types, including copper large- and small-date cents from Philadelphia, and zinc large- and small-date cents from Philadelphia and Denver, along with a proof from San Francisco. The new zinc cents weighed 2.5 gr...
