A Simple $0.02 Solution for Sorting Copper and Zinc Pennies Found Metal Detecting

When sorting the coins you've found metal detecting, it can be difficult to tell the difference between a US copper penny and a US copper-clad zinc penny. Oftentimes the date can't be read easily (or at all!) due to the condition of the coin, and if the penny was minted in 1982 it's hard to tell since both types were made during that year. Here I show you my solution to this problem, which only costs about $0.02 to make.

I hope you enjoy the video, and if you head out to do some of your own metal detecting this spring, good luck and happy hunting!

As always, please feel free to leave any questions or suggestions in the comments section. Cheers!

My gear in this video:
Seiko SRPD51

[neuromonkey]

<facepalm> I've thought through several methods to do this, and in one swell foop you've rendered every single one of my ideas utterly pointless. Nice work!!

[stringgunner]

THAT is perfect!!!
I've got 10 large Maxwell House coffee cans and 5 large Folgers coffee cans full of pennies.
I'll be sorting pennies
You guessed it, drinking coffee ☕! 😂
☕☕☕🪙🪙🪙🪙☕☕☕🪙🪙🪙🪙☕☕☕😆.
Thank You for the awesome project.
Everytime I toss a few pennies in a can, I think about sorting out the coppers.
I do always look for wheats, indians and Canadians. Thank You, again.
Have a great week and be safe out there.

[JustinDOehlke]

This made me chuckle. Always love to see the simple things triumph.

[gus]

👍🏼 An elegant approach! May you all manage to find a 1909 S-VDB on your next coin-sorting mission! 😎✌🏼

[lucygoosey]

Thank you! I just happened to be eating an ice cream bar a few minutes before watching this. Up until now I've been using a ruler & pencil, to weigh penniesk which is no picnic. Took me all of two minutes to make one of your contraptions. Many thanks.

[brettterry]

So simple, exactly what I need. Thanks.

[Vector_Ze]

A creative solution, for sure!
There are gram scales with 0.01 precision for $15-20. I've got one I use for many things, including determining the composition of 1982 Cents. In fact, I just checked my Amazon Order history and found out I've been using this little scale for 8-years now, which comes out to a couple bucks a year if it croaks today. Just saying, if you bought one, you'd certainly find multiple uses for it. Especially since you're the creative sort!
Thumbs up on the video!

[Anna-]

One solution Ive been thinking of is to just throw them all in a tub and start vibrating/shaking them. In theory, the copper ones should sink to the bottom, while the zinc ones should float to the top. From there it should be easier to hand sort them, but might be a good way to do it in bulk.

For me, Im actually more interested in the zinc ones since they can be melted on a stove and used to cast stuff.

[IYar]

Nice. I can feel the difference 95% of the time.

[Magi-KellLife]

Well..sir you are Brilliant! Thanks, gonna try this!

[brian]

So I understand that solid copper is worth more than a zinc plated copper but does that mean that all the pennies before 1982 are worth their weight and copper? And if so I can only assume that it would take a lot of them to even make any money with it? What am I missing because I'm new to the hobby of collecting coins and I'm trying to figure out the basics here.

[naomilarue]

Wondering how the penny is attached to the stick. Glue? If so, would that affect how it balances?

[SteverRob]

So how do you separate the copper from the zinc pennies?

[howiegrapek]

mass/weight works well, but what if it is crusted over with dirt/barnicals which cannot be cleaned off... those have mass also, and can tip the scale.

[bradpittiful]

i did the balance thing with the 82 cents...but it was a pain...so i spent 10 bucks and bought a coin scale...now its much easier and faster checking the coins...i hope you checked the 82 cents for varieties an 82d copper small date is worth big bucks

[Rob-sxek]

A 3 gram 1983 isn't supposed to be possible. If it wasn't the dirt making the extra weight, it's a find.

[MrErikm]

You might have a transition error 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[hydrophobicbathtowel]

... Just flip it next to your head/ear. The coins that say:" tingggg!" Are copper. The ones that go " tnk." Those are zinc. Tinc is zinc. This is much faster and easier to do unless you have severe hearing loss.

[PenguinFolks-svoy]

That 1983 that weighs 3.0 grams is an error penny

[FrankRamos-fnpv]

That 1983 penny at 3.00g is worth up to 23.000$ if you do your studies then you'd know that 😂 it's accurate enough belive it! You have a small fortune there!!