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What is the percentage of copper versus zinc cents for 1982? I think they switched over from copper planchettes to zinc in October 1982.
I've heard ~75% copper to 25% zinc.

dbalek wrote:What is the percentage of copper versus zinc cents for 1982? I think they switched over from copper planchettes to zinc in October 1982.
I've heard ~75% copper to 25% zinc.

that must be pretty close

i run right at 80% copper on the 82's

I heard 75% 25% as well. I've never kept track for myself though.

Pre-Ryedale, I weighed all my '82s. I consistently got 80+% keepers. That's the only good statistic in penny sorting in south Texas. The overall Cu ratio is painfully low.

Funny u mention this. I was just thinking the other day that it seems like the percentage of copper 82s is falling. I wonder if its from people keeping the coppers

Back when I was still sorting, my 1982 ratio was right about 80%Cu/20%Zn.

Not sure why, but I am always at about 40% copper and 60% zinc with 82s... been handsorting lately as the rydale is packed away for a move. Just did 80 dollars in CWR ans still 40%..im in Massachusetts, must be a northeast thing...

I never kept track, I would have guessed around 50/50...

Interesting question. Overall I bet I am at 85+% Cu. For a while before I had a weight measuring devise, I set aside about $5 worth of 82's. Then, I seperated them into the seven types - Cu-Zn, Lg-Sm date, Denver-Philly. Where I live, I collected mostly Lg date Denver. These were easily 95% Cu. I wish I kept closer track, but the other groups seemed to be split closer to 50-50. I don't see many Sm date and Philly coins so this is underpowered and only a very rough estimate.

In central Texas, it's about 75-25 in favor of the coppers...which is plausible given that the transition date was in October; approximately 3/4 into the year.

Further, I'd estimate that it could be broken down into 70% LD Copper, 5% SD Copper, 15% LD Zinc, and 10% SD Zinc. It's interesting that I rarely find SD Coppers, I really wish I knew why that is. Does anyone have any detailed, official information about the die varieties of that year?

Just sorted some 1982s by hand last night (about 50). Around 80% coppers. I went so long without hitting a zinc that I thought I was doing something wrong, but the consensus from a few Google searches was 75/25 copper.

jmaii wrote:Just sorted some 1982s by hand last night (about 50). Around 80% coppers. I went so long without hitting a zinc that I thought I was doing something wrong, but the consensus from a few Google searches was 75/25 copper.

Yeah, when I weigh them I probably get 90+% copper, but I do throw aside some that seem to obviously be zinc before I weigh them.

The country's 4th quarter, or end of the year, ends at the end of September. So, October 1st starts the "new year" for the government. That gives us 3 months of zinc 1982 pennies. And if production was constant, the copper to zinc should be 75% to 25%.

I couldn't resist making a few graphs when I saw the above data posted. I doubt anyone else has kept track of more than 8,500 1982s. Even though your data is location specific, I can imagine over the last 31 years, the 82s have had a good time to mix up (Denver/Philly and Copper/Zinc)

Thanks for the visual.

Diggin4copper wrote:Not sure why, but I am always at about 40% copper and 60% zinc with 82s... been handsorting lately as the rydale is packed away for a move. Just did 80 dollars in CWR ans still 40%..im in Massachusetts, must be a northeast thing...

But here in CT, I always seemed to get 75% cu. That was as recently as a year ago when I last sorted cents.

I save all '82s, then sort them on a rainy day. I'd say the results are pretty dang near close to what the pie charts indicate.