A Penny Saved Is… 2 Pennies Earned?

Did you know that the rising price of copper has made pennies created before the year 1982 worth almost 2 cents today? In the year 1982 the US mint stopped creating pennies from 95% copper. Currently pennies are now made with Zinc. What it means is that newly created pennies (1982-2009) hold almost half of the value of a penny. ($ 0.0048) While pennies created 1909-1982 are worth $.018 by based on current copper prices.

Which makes it the only U.S. Currency that is actually worth more money as a precious metal than it is as currency. In years past United States currency used to be made out of gold, silver, and copper giving our money real world value in addition to value as a currency. Today even copper the cheapest of all the precious metals has been removed from some of our coins. Dimes, Nickels, and Quarters are still made with copper, but as for their precious metal content they are worth little more than the pennies of old.

How Much Is A Penny Worth?

“Look at it this way if you took a quarter and traded it for 25 pennies. The value of the quarter would be $0.25 US but the value of the metal would be only $0.038 or 4 cents. The 25 pennies (pre-1982) would be worth $0.25 US but the value of the metals would be worth $0.425 or 43 cents. Interesting.”

If runaway inflation takes place and the dollar becomes a worthless piece of paper, all experts have said to invest in gold to protect your savings. If you can’t afford to buy gold then silver is the next best option. If you can’t afford silver….then save your coins, because they at least have some inherent value. That is except for any penny made after 1982. So next time you are about to toss aside a penny think again because it may have more value than you think.

Disclaimer: It is a federal crime to melt or destroy US currency including coins. I advise only holding on to these for trade or sale.