What pennies are made of depends on the year and the circumstances at the time. In the early years, they were made of copper. Modern cents consist of only a small percentage of copper.
If you want to collect high copper content pennies, you will have more success by collecting those minted before 1942. During wartime, the U.S. Mint created steel pennies to reserve copper to support war efforts. From 1944 forward, copper coins (bronze) were created until 1981. Since then, pennies have been made from copper-plated zinc.
Penny Composition by Year
As you can see from the chart, the percentage of copper in the composition and size of the coins have gone down through the years. During World War II, the U.S. Mint experimented with a few options, including low-alloy steel and even glass. The modern cent is mostly zinc.
| Year | Weight (g) | Cu | Zn | Ni |
| 1793 – 1795 | 13.48 | 100% | ||
| 1795 – 1857 | 10.98 | 100% | ||
| 1856 – 1864 | 4.67 | 88% | 12% | |
| 1864 – 1942 | 3.11 | 95% | 5%+ Tin | |
| 1943 | 2.72 | +Steel | ||
| 1944 – 1946 | 3.11 | 95% | 5% | |
| 1947 – 1962 | 3.11 | 95% | 5%+ Tin | |
| 1962 – 1982 | 3.11 | 95% | 5% | |
| 1982-Present | 2.50 | 2.5% | 97.5% |
Interesting Fact: What many of us call a penny is a cent. Penny was the word used in England to represent 1/240th of a British pound. While the cent has “ONE CENT” spelled across the back, most still call it a “penny” from 100’s of years ago.
The Elements Used to Make Pennies
Most consist of copper, zinc, nickel, or tin.
Copper (Cu)
Copper is a highly malleable metal that can be easily shaped. Since it is so malleable most coins were minted using an alloy to improve its endurance.
Zinc (Zn)
Zinc is a brittle metal at room temperature, and it is readily abundant. It is utilized with copper to create bronze and brass.
Nickel (Ni)
This metal is shiny silver with a slight gold color. It has been used to produce a variety of coins. The U.S. nickel still contains some nickel.
Tin (Sn)
Tin is a malleable metal which in modern times is used to create things like soldering wire and tinning (food cans). It is also used with other metals to create alloys like bronze, pewter, and bell metal.
Copper vs Bronze Coins
Full copper cents have not been produced since 1857. Many pennies are made of an alloy of copper and zinc which is bronze. A typical alloy has a ratio of 95% copper and 5% tin and zinc, or just zinc. Modern one-cent coins are not considered bronze.
The Elusive 1943 Copper Cent
When the U.S. Mint started creating 1943 cents, a few copper blanks were left in the hopper, and a minimal amount of 1943 copper coins were minted. These are error coins. While collecting coins, if you find a 1943 copper coin, it may be worth getting appraised. But be careful as counterfeits have been discovered.
Glass one-cent coins were also created as an experiment in 1943. But they were not cost effective and not durable enough. But if you think you have found one, have a numismatic professional inspect it for you. It is believed that zero or few of these experimental coins survived.
Are 100% Copper Cents Rare?
Yes, they can be to collectors, not melters. The numismatic value is worth more than the melt value. Older cents are highly collectible. Like any coin rarity, condition, and demand impact the value. If you come across some older cents or already hold them, you can review our coin value guide to estimate their value.
