THE U.S. PENNY

The price of Zinc and Copper has continued to rise over the past few decades. The current U.S. Lincoln Penny is composed of 97.5% Zinc and 2.5% Copper. As of 2010 The United States Penny costs 1.67 cents to produce, effectively costing .67 cents more than it is worth at face value. On December 14, 2006 the government passed a law making it illegal to melt pennies. The current penalty for melting a penny is a maximum of five years in prison and up to 10,000 dollars in fines.

1943 COPPER ALLOY PENNY

In 1943 the government accidentally issued 40 copper alloy pennies from 40 unseen copper alloys one cent blanks left in the presses from the wartime years. The Penny was supposed to be converted to steel in 1943. In 2011 a New Jersey coin dealer sold his 1943 copper-alloyed penny for 1.7 million dollars.