4 ms·

Only pennies before 1982 are worth scrapping as they are made of copper. The newer pennies are not really worth the effort as they are mostly zinc. Ironically

Only pennies before 1982 are worth scrapping as they are made of copper. The newer pennies are not really worth the effort as they are mostly zinc. Ironically if they are no longer illegal to melt down (IANAL but I would think this is true?) they actually would be more worth it to scrap because of the negated risk.

sdenton4 11mo ago
We can turn them into suntan lotion!
- puppycodes 11mo ago
  hahah ok actually I love that. I think however the problem would be the trouble in seperating the zinc from the copper, I think you would likely operate at a loss still but this is just a guess.
  - GrifMD 11mo ago
    It's called Coppertone for a reason
dehrmann 11mo ago
> The newer pennies are not really worth the effort as they are mostly zinc. They're still worth $1 per lb., and you have to destroy them, anyway.
- puppycodes 11mo ago
  It's their mix with copper I beleive that makes them less valuable than their raw value in zinc if thats what your number is based on... because the cost of seperation from the copper is greater than simply sourcing other materials.
  - lukevp 11mo ago
    I read this as a joke ($1/lb because 100 pennies weighs about a pound - although online sources make it sound like it's closer to 200 pennies for a pound)
  - Symbiote 11mo ago
    Someone producing brass (copper-zinc alloy) could presumably use them, as they only need to add extra copper.
Laremere 11mo ago
No law in relation to pennies has changed. The executive branch has simply took the law stating the mint should create as many pennies as necessary, and decided that the necessary amount is 0. The practicalities of their illegality then comes down to enforcement. Given the current executive branch's behavior related to enforcement of laws, that can mean anything from "melt them all down", to "don't do it", to "if our friends start doing it, it'll be legal, if our enemies start doing it, we'll enforce".

sdenton4 11mo ago

We can turn them into suntan lotion!

puppycodes 11mo ago
hahah ok actually I love that. I think however the problem would be the trouble in seperating the zinc from the copper, I think you would likely operate at a loss still but this is just a guess.
- GrifMD 11mo ago
  It's called Coppertone for a reason

dehrmann 11mo ago

> The newer pennies are not really worth the effort as they are mostly zinc. They're still worth $1 per lb., and you have to destroy them, anyway.

puppycodes 11mo ago
It's their mix with copper I beleive that makes them less valuable than their raw value in zinc if thats what your number is based on... because the cost of seperation from the copper is greater than simply sourcing other materials.
- lukevp 11mo ago
  I read this as a joke ($1/lb because 100 pennies weighs about a pound - although online sources make it sound like it's closer to 200 pennies for a pound)
- Symbiote 11mo ago
  Someone producing brass (copper-zinc alloy) could presumably use them, as they only need to add extra copper.

Laremere 11mo ago

No law in relation to pennies has changed. The executive branch has simply took the law stating the mint should create as many pennies as necessary, and decided that the necessary amount is 0. The practicalities of their illegality then comes down to enforcement. Given the current executive branch's behavior related to enforcement of laws, that can mean anything from "melt them all down", to "don't do it", to "if our friends start doing it, it'll be legal, if our enemies start doing it, we'll enforce".