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Jeff Wisnia
Guest
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 Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2006 7:15 am Post subject: How are US pennies made? |
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How are the current copper/zinc pennies manuafactured?
My inquiring mind wants to know:
Is the raw coil stock a sandwitch of zinc with copper on both sides?
Or are the blanks punched from zinc and copper plated before striking?
Or are the blanks punched from zinc, struck and then copper plated?
The edge of a penny looks like it's "all copper", unlike the edges of
other coins, like quarters, where you can see the copper colored center
material. So I'm expecting to learn that copper plating is involved.
I tried looking for an answer at the US Mint's web site but didn't find
one. They do have a rather nice virtual tour here:
http://tinyurl.com/5sxxn
It was interesting to learn that the sculpted masters for coins are
about dinner plate sized and a rather arcane looking pantagraph
engraving machine makes a coin size master from which the striking dies
are decended.
Jeff
--
Jeffry Wisnia
(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
"What do you expect from a pig but a grunt?" |
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Gary A. Gorgen
Guest
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| Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2006 2:22 pm Post subject: Re: How are US pennies made? |
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Jeff Wisnia wrote:
| Quote: |
How are the current copper/zinc pennies manuafactured?
My inquiring mind wants to know:
Is the raw coil stock a sandwitch of zinc with copper on both sides?
|
Yes.
They are blanked, deburred, then struck.
| Quote: | Or are the blanks punched from zinc and copper plated before striking?
Or are the blanks punched from zinc, struck and then copper plated?
The edge of a penny looks like it's "all copper", unlike the edges of
other coins, like quarters, where you can see the copper colored center
material. So I'm expecting to learn that copper plating is involved.
I tried looking for an answer at the US Mint's web site but didn't find
one. They do have a rather nice virtual tour here:
http://tinyurl.com/5sxxn
It was interesting to learn that the sculpted masters for coins are
about dinner plate sized and a rather arcane looking pantagraph
engraving machine makes a coin size master from which the striking dies
are decended.
|
The US does things differently. Most of the world uses sinker EDM
for the dies.
The US still hand engraves the intaglio plates. ( for paper currency )
The rest of the world chemical etches.
--
Gary A. Gorgen | "From ideas to PRODUCTS"
tunxis@comcast.net | Tunxis Design Inc.
| Cupertino, Ca. 95014 |
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Leon
Guest
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| Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2006 7:57 pm Post subject: Re: How are US pennies made? |
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Jeff Wisnia wrote:
| Quote: | How are the current copper/zinc pennies manuafactured?
My inquiring mind wants to know:
Is the raw coil stock a sandwitch of zinc with copper on both sides?
Or are the blanks punched from zinc and copper plated before striking?
Or are the blanks punched from zinc, struck and then copper plated?
The edge of a penny looks like it's "all copper", unlike the edges of
other coins, like quarters, where you can see the copper colored center
material. So I'm expecting to learn that copper plating is involved.
I tried looking for an answer at the US Mint's web site but didn't find
one. They do have a rather nice virtual tour here:
http://tinyurl.com/5sxxn
It was interesting to learn that the sculpted masters for coins are
about dinner plate sized and a rather arcane looking pantagraph
engraving machine makes a coin size master from which the striking dies
are decended.
Jeff
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The 'real' pennies we use in the UK are made from copper-plated steel.
Leon |
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brownnsharp
Guest
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| Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2006 8:49 pm Post subject: Re: How are US pennies made? |
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A slight change of subject. I think the new quarters and nickels suck.
The stamping process leave lightly embossed coins, which frankly look
as if they were made in India or some third world country. I think the
older US coins were better stamped, and frankly better designed. Boo
Hiss to the new coins, a pox on their designers, a plague on the people
who stamp them out.
Brownnsharp |
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Guest
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| Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2006 9:11 pm Post subject: Re: How are US pennies made? |
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"Leon" <leon.heller@bulldoghome.com> wrote:
| Quote: | The 'real' pennies we use in the UK are made from copper-plated steel.
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Next you are going to tell us that you guys speak 'real' english. |
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Tom Gardner
Guest
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| Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2006 10:39 pm Post subject: Re: How are US pennies made? |
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"Jeff Wisnia" <jwisnia@conversent.net> wrote in message
news:dfWdnYpo7-3kkWzZnZ2dnUVZ_tOdnZ2d@comcast.com...
| Quote: |
How are pennies made?
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Be in a manufacturing business!!! |
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arachnid
Guest
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| Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2006 11:10 pm Post subject: Re: How are US pennies made? |
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On Sun, 27 Aug 2006 09:49:40 -0700, brownnsharp wrote:
| Quote: | A slight change of subject. I think the new quarters and nickels suck.
The stamping process leave lightly embossed coins, which frankly look
as if they were made in India or some third world country.
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Well, we are sorta headed in that direction... |
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Jeff Wisnia
Guest
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| Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2006 11:56 pm Post subject: Re: How are US pennies made? |
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Gary A. Gorgen wrote:
| Quote: |
Jeff Wisnia wrote:
How are the current copper/zinc pennies manuafactured?
My inquiring mind wants to know:
Is the raw coil stock a sandwitch of zinc with copper on both sides?
Yes.
They are blanked, deburred, then struck.
|
I'm having trouble understanding that because the outside diameter of
the penny shows no signs of a zinc center layer.
I just gave the OD of a penny a couple of swipes with one of SWMBO's
cardboard fingernail sanders and the white zinc then became visible,
over what appeared to be the entire thickness of the rim, minus a VERY
thin stripe of copper at the very edge which looks to be only a few thou
thick.
So, are you saying that the blanking process somehow smears copper over
the OD which stays there during the deburring?
(Leaving to have another look at the US Mint's website.)
Whoops! I should have tried suckering you into betting me $20 on the
validity of your answer. <G>
Searching for "plated" got me this from the Horse's mouth*:
************
Following is a brief chronology of the metal composition of the cent
coin (penny):
* The composition was pure copper from 1793 to 1837.
* From 1837 to 1857, the cent was made of bronze (95 percent
copper, and five percent tin and zinc).
* From 1857, the cent was 88 percent copper and 12 percent nickel,
giving the coin a whitish appearance.
* The cent was again bronze (95 percent copper, and five percent
tin and zinc) from 1864 to 1962.
(Note: In 1943, the coin's composition was changed to zinc-coated
steel. This change was only for the year 1943 and was due to the
critical use of copper for the war effort. However, a limited number of
copper pennies were minted that year. You can read more about the rare,
collectible 1943 copper penny in "What's So Special about the 1943
Copper Penny.")
* In 1962, the cent's tin content, which was quite small, was
removed. That made the metal composition of the cent 95 percent copper
and 5 percent zinc.
* The alloy remained 95 percent copper and 5 percent zinc until
1982, when the composition was changed to 97.5 percent zinc and 2.5
percent copper (copper-plated zinc). Cents of both compositions
appeared in that year.
***********
'Twas on this page "The Composition of the Cent":
http://tinyurl.com/3dm84
Case closed,
Jeff (Who used to work at a place where we made the front ends of horses
which were then shipped to Washington DC for final assembly.)
--
Jeffry Wisnia
(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
"Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength." |
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Harold and Susan Vordos
Guest
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| Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2006 12:02 am Post subject: Re: How are US pennies made? |
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"Tom Gardner" <tom(nospam)@ohiobrush.com> wrote in message
news:oNkIg.1040$Cq4.628@newssvr25.news.prodigy.net...
| Quote: |
"Jeff Wisnia" <jwisnia@conversent.net> wrote in message
news:dfWdnYpo7-3kkWzZnZ2dnUVZ_tOdnZ2d@comcast.com...
How are pennies made?
Be in a manufacturing business!!!
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What are you doing with all that profit? :-)
Harold |
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Don Bruder
Guest
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| Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2006 12:32 am Post subject: Re: How are US pennies made? |
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In article <T6Cdnfr7mdvLd2zZnZ2dnUVZ_oGdnZ2d@conversent.net>,
Jeff Wisnia <jwisnia@conversent.net> wrote:
| Quote: | Gary A. Gorgen wrote:
Jeff Wisnia wrote:
How are the current copper/zinc pennies manuafactured?
My inquiring mind wants to know:
Is the raw coil stock a sandwitch of zinc with copper on both sides?
Yes.
They are blanked, deburred, then struck.
I'm having trouble understanding that because the outside diameter of
the penny shows no signs of a zinc center layer.
I just gave the OD of a penny a couple of swipes with one of SWMBO's
cardboard fingernail sanders and the white zinc then became visible,
over what appeared to be the entire thickness of the rim, minus a VERY
thin stripe of copper at the very edge which looks to be only a few thou
thick.
So, are you saying that the blanking process somehow smears copper over
the OD which stays there during the deburring?
(Leaving to have another look at the US Mint's website.)
Whoops! I should have tried suckering you into betting me $20 on the
validity of your answer. <G
Searching for "plated" got me this from the Horse's mouth*:
************
Following is a brief chronology of the metal composition of the cent
coin (penny):
* The composition was pure copper from 1793 to 1837.
* From 1837 to 1857, the cent was made of bronze (95 percent
copper, and five percent tin and zinc).
* From 1857, the cent was 88 percent copper and 12 percent nickel,
giving the coin a whitish appearance.
* The cent was again bronze (95 percent copper, and five percent
tin and zinc) from 1864 to 1962.
(Note: In 1943, the coin's composition was changed to zinc-coated
steel. This change was only for the year 1943 and was due to the
critical use of copper for the war effort. However, a limited number of
copper pennies were minted that year. You can read more about the rare,
collectible 1943 copper penny in "What's So Special about the 1943
Copper Penny.")
* In 1962, the cent's tin content, which was quite small, was
removed. That made the metal composition of the cent 95 percent copper
and 5 percent zinc.
* The alloy remained 95 percent copper and 5 percent zinc until
1982, when the composition was changed to 97.5 percent zinc and 2.5
percent copper (copper-plated zinc). Cents of both compositions
appeared in that year.
***********
'Twas on this page "The Composition of the Cent":
http://tinyurl.com/3dm84
Case closed,
Jeff (Who used to work at a place where we made the front ends of horses
which were then shipped to Washington DC for final assembly.)
|
Presumably because Washington DC is chock-fulla back ends of horses? :)
--
Don Bruder - dakidd@sonic.net - If your "From:" address isn't on my whitelist,
or the subject of the message doesn't contain the exact text "PopperAndShadow"
somewhere, any message sent to this address will go in the garbage without my
ever knowing it arrived. Sorry... <http://www.sonic.net/~dakidd> for more info |
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Paul K. Dickman
Guest
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| Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2006 3:41 am Post subject: Re: How are US pennies made? |
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"brownnsharp" <drutstoy@sbcglobal.net> wrote in message
news:1156693779.918735.79490@m79g2000cwm.googlegroups.com...
| Quote: | A slight change of subject. I think the new quarters and nickels suck.
The stamping process leave lightly embossed coins, which frankly look
as if they were made in India or some third world country. I think the
older US coins were better stamped, and frankly better designed. Boo
Hiss to the new coins, a pox on their designers, a plague on the people
who stamp them out.
Brownnsharp
|
I agree with you whole heartedly.
Our current coinage looks like something they throw at you during mardigras.
Sometimes I pull a quarter from the '70s out of my pocket, and just marvel
at the relief.
Paul K. Dickman |
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Guest
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| Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2006 8:35 am Post subject: Re: How are US pennies made? |
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| Quote: | tunxis@comcast.net (Gary A. Gorgen)
The US still hand engraves the intaglio plates. (
for paper currency )
The rest of the world chemical etches.
Jeff
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Partially true, The US hand engraves the portriats, the rest of the
artwork is chemically etched on the plates |
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Guest
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| Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2006 8:50 am Post subject: Re: How are US pennies made? |
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| Quote: | jwisnia@conversent.net (Jeff Wisnia)
I just gave the OD of a penny a couple of
\swipes with one of SWMBO's cardboard
fingernail sanders and the white zinc then
became visible, over what appeared to be the
entire thickness of the rim, minus a VERY thin
stripe of copper at the very edge which looks to
be only a few thou thick.
|
If you would like to find out how thick the copper is, Here is a neat
trick. There is a household cleaning product called C.L.R. (it stands
for calcium, lime, rust) It's used to remove mineral stains on coffee
pots, bathtubs, etc. Take a penny and scuff the edge all the way around
so the zinc shows and place in a few oz. of CLR in a small jar for a day
or two. The CLR will completely eat the zinc from in between the two
copper skins. |
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Don Bruder
Guest
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| Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2006 10:18 am Post subject: Re: How are US pennies made? |
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In article <16763-44F2681E-654@storefull-3116.bay.webtv.net>,
tornado_1976@webtv.net wrote:
| Quote: | jwisnia@conversent.net (Jeff Wisnia)
I just gave the OD of a penny a couple of
\swipes with one of SWMBO's cardboard
fingernail sanders and the white zinc then
became visible, over what appeared to be the
entire thickness of the rim, minus a VERY thin
stripe of copper at the very edge which looks to
be only a few thou thick.
If you would like to find out how thick the copper is, Here is a neat
trick. There is a household cleaning product called C.L.R. (it stands
for calcium, lime, rust) It's used to remove mineral stains on coffee
pots, bathtubs, etc. Take a penny and scuff the edge all the way around
so the zinc shows and place in a few oz. of CLR in a small jar for a day
or two. The CLR will completely eat the zinc from in between the two
copper skins.
|
Do the same thing, but instead of shaving the entire rim, just nick one
small spot, and you end up with a spiffy "hollow penny" - It takes a bit
longer though, due to the smaller exposed zinc surface.
--
Don Bruder - dakidd@sonic.net - If your "From:" address isn't on my whitelist,
or the subject of the message doesn't contain the exact text "PopperAndShadow"
somewhere, any message sent to this address will go in the garbage without my
ever knowing it arrived. Sorry... <http://www.sonic.net/~dakidd> for more info |
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Tom Gardner
Guest
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| Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2006 3:51 pm Post subject: Re: How are US pennies made? |
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"Harold and Susan Vordos" <vordos@tds.net> wrote in message
news:2%lIg.316$5i7.43@newsreading01.news.tds.net...
| Quote: |
"Tom Gardner" <tom(nospam)@ohiobrush.com> wrote in message
news:oNkIg.1040$Cq4.628@newssvr25.news.prodigy.net...
"Jeff Wisnia" <jwisnia@conversent.net> wrote in message
news:dfWdnYpo7-3kkWzZnZ2dnUVZ_tOdnZ2d@comcast.com...
How are pennies made?
Be in a manufacturing business!!!
What are you doing with all that profit? :-)
Harold
|
I just gave the union 25 cents and have been giving the bank checks every
month. What does it mean when the rep from the bank picks up the check for
lunch? |
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