1983 Solid Copper Alloy Cent Found
Images © Ken Potter 2011
All serious numismatists have heard the old axiom “buy the book before you buy the coin” but it can also be stated to “buy the book so that you can find the coin.”
A Pennsylvanian who wishes to remain anonymous did just that! She purchased a copy of my and coauthor Dr. Brian Allen’s book, Strike It Rich With Pocket Change, and within several weeks after her purchase she found a 1983 Lincoln cent struck on a pre-1982 (or early 1982) homogeneous copper alloy planchet. She found it after reading our account on how Billy Crawford of SC found one by setting all the 1983 cents to the side, while looking for doubled dies and other varieties in circulated rolls, so that he could weigh them all later.
The cents struck from 1963 through about mid 1982 are of a solid brass composition made up of 95% copper and 5% zinc. They weigh 3.1 grams.
The cents struck from about mid 1982 through current are struck on planchets made up of a solid zinc core (with a trace of copper) that are barrel plated with pure copper and weigh 2.5 grams.
