The last year that the US minted a solid copper cent coin was in 1857. These were called Large Cents because they were about the size of half-dollars.
After that were Flying Eagle and Indian Head cents that were .880 copper and .120 nickel. In 1864 the composition was changed to .950 copper and .050 tin and zinc. Then came the Wheat pennies, and they were .950 copper and .050 tin and zinc (with the exception of 1943, which were Zinc coated steel).
1959 to 1962 Lincoln Memorial came next with .950 copper and .050 tin and zinc. 1962-1982 were .950 copper and .050 zinc.
Lastly 1982 to date are .975 zinc and .025 copper.
When the price of copper rose in 1982, the mint was forced to make a midyear change from solid bronze (95% copper) to copper-plated zinc. You can find cents dated 1982 made out of both metals. The only way to reliably tell them apart is to weigh them on a sensitive scale. Copper cents weigh 3.11 gm, zinc ones are 2.5 gm. To be very specific, though, the last year for pure copper US cents was 1857. All "copper" cents made since then are actually an alloy of 95% copper with the remaining 5% tin and/or zinc.
The last year for 100% pure copper cents was 1857.
Lincoln cents still have copper in them, but it's a very small amount only .025 copper & .975 zinc. 1981 is the last year all Lincoln cents were made of mostly copper (.950 & .050 zinc) and then in 1982 the Mint issued Lincoln cents made from both compositions. The copper coins weigh 3.11 grams. The zinc coins weigh 2.5 grams.
Solid copper pennies were last minted in 1857 and were much larger than today's penny. Pennies were made mostly of copper until mid-1982, when the composition was changed to 97.5% zinc with a plating of 2.5% copper. The only exception was in 1943 when wartime copper shortages forced the Mint to make pennies out of scrap steel. Bronze cents were resumed the next year, 1944.
The last copper (actually bronze) U.S. cents were struck in mid-1982. Coins from that year exist in both bronze and copper-plated zinc varieties.
The 1857 large cents were the last one cent coins made of pure copper. The simple answer is: All Lincoln cents from 1909 to 1981 are mostly copper. 1982 is the year they changed the composition to zinc from copper. 1983 to 2011 Lincoln cents are zinc.
When the price of copper rose in 1982, the mint was forced to make a midyear change from solid bronze (95% copper) to copper-plated zinc. You can find cents dated 1982 made out of both metals. The only way to reliably tell them apart is to weigh them on a sensitive scale. Copper cents weigh 3.11 gm, zinc ones are 2.5 gm. To be very specific, though, the last year for pure copper US cents was 1857. All "copper" cents made since then are actually an alloy of 95% copper with the remaining 5% tin and/or zinc.
The last year of the 95% copper cents was 1982. Midway through 1982 the US mint replaced the 95% copper coins with copper plated zinc cents, so there are some 1982 cents that are copper, others are zinc. However, all Lincoln cents prior to 1982 are 95% copper, and all circulation Lincoln cents dated 1983 and later are copper plated zinc.
As of 2005, around 15 million tons of copper were being produced each year from mineral extraction. This number has been steadily growing for the last 100 years (although copper has been used by humans for over 10,000 years, 95% of all copper ever produced has been extracted since 1900). Although there are vast amounts of copper in the earth's crust, only a tiny fraction of it can be mined in a practical and cost-effective way using current technology. This viable copper reserve is estimated to last about 60 years at current projected growth rates. Recycling of copper is, therefore, an important part of copper production and will continue to be so.
Lincoln cents still have copper in them, but it's a very small amount only .025 copper & .975 zinc. 1981 is the last year all Lincoln cents were made of mostly copper (.950 & .050 zinc) and then in 1982 the Mint issued Lincoln cents made from both compositions. The copper coins weigh 3.11 grams. The zinc coins weigh 2.5 grams.
The last year for 100% pure copper cents was 1857.
Solid copper pennies were last minted in 1857 and were much larger than today's penny. Pennies were made mostly of copper until mid-1982, when the composition was changed to 97.5% zinc with a plating of 2.5% copper. The only exception was in 1943 when wartime copper shortages forced the Mint to make pennies out of scrap steel. Bronze cents were resumed the next year, 1944.
The last copper (actually bronze) U.S. cents were struck in mid-1982. Coins from that year exist in both bronze and copper-plated zinc varieties.
The last copper (actually bronze) cents were made in mid-1982. The mints gradually changed over to copper-plated zinc as the remaining stocks of bronze blanks were used up.
Called the "Lincoln Wheat Cent" it was produced from 1909 to 1958. The cent was redesigned for 1959 and was called the "Lincoln Memorial Cent" which was produced until 2008 when it was again redesigned for 2009.
Short answer: The last year for copper cents in the U.S. was 1982, when the composition was changed from 95% copper/5% zinc to 97.5% zinc/2.5% copper. If the question was about Canadian cents, those were 98% copper until 1996, before switching to zinc for three years, and changing again to steel in 2000.
1982 was the last year for 95%-copper pennies. And the first year for the zinc pennies. They made both types that year, and the only way to tell them apart is by weight -- the zinc pennies are lighter.Answer100% copper pennies were last minted by the US in 1857. These were large cents, about the size of the "golden" dollar coins. The Flying Eagle and Indian Cents from 1856 to 1864 were 88% copper and 12% nickel. Beginning in 1864 Indian Cents, and later Lincoln Cents, were minted in 95% copper and 5% tin, technically this is bronze. AnswerAnother way to tell the copper penny from the copper coated zinc penny is when a penny is dropped on a hard surface the copper penny will have a ringing sound, the zinc penny will not ring.