Expert: Dan Moore - 7/8/2007

Question
QUESTION: Hi. I found a 1983 silver colored penny at work the other day, and I was wondering if you could possibly shed some light on it. I have never heard of non-copper or non-copper coated pennies since 1943, and the penny does not look tarnished as it would if it had had the copper stripped chemically. Is it special? I live in West Virginia and have no idea where to go to even get it looked at, let alone see if it would be worth anything. Thanks!

ANSWER: Hi Nicole,

1982 was the year the Mint changed the composition of pennies from mostly copper to mostly zinc with just a thin outer copper layer.

However, each year a significant number of the penny blanks don't get their outer copper coating.  So they look just like the 1943 zinc coated cents.

A nice uncirculated one is worth about $100

Dan



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you Dan. I was wondering if you could possibly tell me of any professionals that I could contact to see what my particular penny might be worth (if anything). I live in the 25705 zip of West Virginia, and this is my first adventure in coin collecting so I'm not sure who to trust. Thanks so much!

Answer
From looking at the ANA dealer directory, probably the closest dealer to you is in Charleston :

Kanawha Coin Shop
Douglas C. Bumgardner
712 Fife St
Charleston , WV 25301-2202
Phone: (304) 342-8081
E-mail: dougbum@suddenlink.net
Website: http://www.kanawhacoin.com  

The ANA dealer directory is located here :

http://www.money.org/ana_custom/dealer_search/dealer_search.cfm

Dan