All circulating 1974 U.S. cents are made of bronze, not aluminum. The U.S. has never made a circulating coin out of aluminum.
You're probably thinking of the experimental cents struck in aluminum to test it as a possible replacement for copper, but they weren't put into circulation. Also, they were silvery in color and weighed less than 1/3 as much as a standard cent.
A few of them were shown to various members of Congress to get their opinions about such a substantial modification to an iconic coin. Rumors persist that a few of them were "palmed" by a couple of congressmen but no one has ever seen the coins.
The only known ones are in museums and as such are almost impossible to value because there is no open market for them. If one were to surface at auction it could conceivably sell for as much as the famous 1943 copper cents, which would put them in excess of $35,000.
No. The only cents ever struck in aluminum were some test pieces made in 1974. None are know to have been put in circulation.
No, though the mint did experiment with aluminum pennies in 1974, though all were either destroyed, donated to the Smithsonian, or stolen.
No. Trial coins were struck in 1974 and shown as samples. Supposedly all were melted but rumors persist that a few of the coins were hidden away.
A less detailed obverse master hub was introduced in 1974. The most important distinction is Lincoln's hair, but it is very slight, less detail. Also the aluminum cents were struck in 1974.
There is no market value for the 1974 aluminum cent because it's illegal to own one.
Yes, there are pennies worth $2000. A 1974 penny made from aluminum has been estimated between $250,000 and $1,000,000. A 1969 S Double Die Lincoln penny was sold in 2002 for $59,500.
Only one penny is required, if it is moving fast enough to puncture the hull. If you are talking about the weight of the pennies, then aluminum boats come in various sizes, so they do not all have the same penny carrying capacity. A ten foot long aluminum rowboat can carry a million pennies without sinking. Try it.
No, only in the 1970s.
1 cent
NO circulation 1974 cents are made of aluminum. All were made of bronze (copper, tin, and zinc).You are probably thinking of the famous case of a set of experimental coins that were struck in aluminum to see if it would be a reasonable substitute for bronze. The coins turned out to be too light (for ex. they'd blow away in a breeze) so they were supposedly all melted. However some of them had been loaned to members of Congress for examination, and rumors persist that a few of the coins were never sent back for melting. However no one has ever seen any of the coins except for a few that were kept for museums.
The US never made aluminum cents for circulation. You may be thinking of the fact that current (1982-present) cents are made of zinc and coated with copper.However, there were some experimental aluminum cents struck in 1974 and shown as samples. Supposedly all were melted but rumors persist that a few of them were saved. The coins would have been very unsatisfactory because they looked like dimes and were so light they'd blow away in a moderate wind.
The ones dated 1941-1943 are all common and worth around 10 cents each on average. Copper wheat pennies (following the '43 steel cent) are typically worth around 5 cents. Then 1959-1974 are worth 2 cents for the copper.