Copper now at 25 cents per ounce.

[dpwozney]

Have you tried to get a pure nickel nickel lately? ... I haven't seen a pure nickel nickel in circulation in ages. You would be lucky in a $2 roll to not have all steel.

I post my nickel sorting results in this thread.

For the past six months, pure-nickel nickels have averaged about 7.7% of all nickels in circulation I have encountered.

Out of 1000 pennies, about 200 will be steel nowadays. The majority zinc, and not that many copper. And thats 1996.

Nowadays, I am finding that, out of 1000 pennies, about 280 are mainly copper.

All US nickels to this date are 75/25.

U.S. Mint nickels, minted from 1942 through 1945, are 35% silver, 56% copper, and 9% manganese.

Edited January 12, 2011 by dpwozney

[dpwozney]

Note: There are quite a few non-steel 2010 pennies. Many speculate that we went back to Zinc because it became cheaper than pressed steel for a short period of time. Zinc is cheap to stamp into coins, Steel although a much cheaper metal - requires much more (expensive) energy to produce.

Do you have any source or link for your claim?

This “Canadian Numismatic Publishing Institute” webpage, titled “Technical Aspects of Canadian Coinage - Canadian Circulation Coinage”, does not make any mention of any 2000-Date pennies that are composed of anything other than 94% steel, 1.5% nickel, and 4.5% copper plating.

[dpwozney]

Canadian pennies are made of mostly steel these days.

By “these days” I mean “over the past four years or so, since 2007”.

Over the past four years or so, since 2007, most Canadian pennies have been made of mostly steel.

[ZenOps]

Do you have any source or link for your claim?

This “Canadian Numismatic Publishing Institute” webpage, titled “Technical Aspects of Canadian Coinage - Canadian Circulation Coinage”, does not make any mention of any 2000-Date pennies that are composed of anything other than 94% steel, 1.5% nickel, and 4.5% copper plating.

Life is my link. Just use a strong magnet. You will find plenty of 2006 and 2010 non-steel pennies. Unless they magically found a way to make steel non-magnetic.

Its always possible they aren't using Zinc either - but I don't know of any other metals they might be using.

[dpwozney]

Life is my link. Just use a strong magnet. You will find plenty of 2006 and 2010 non-steel pennies. Unless they magically found a way to make steel non-magnetic.

Its always possible they aren't using Zinc either - but I don't know of any other metals they might be using.

Okay, I am out of 2010 pennies right now, but the next time I get some 2010 pennies I will definitely try a magnet on them.