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1982 penny: copper or zinc? The weight test and small date

3 min read · Updated Oct 5, 2026

Why 1982 is tricky

Copper got expensive around 1981, so the Mint changed the penny to copper-plated zinc. NGC records the first zinc production at West Point on January 7, 1982, with Philadelphia following. Those West Point circulation cents had no mint mark. Denver kept making copper-alloy pennies until October 21, 1982. In the same year, the Mint also changed the size of the numbers in the date. So 1982 pennies come in two metals and two date sizes.

The seven kinds

No mint mark (catalogued with Philadelphia; some unmarked zinc production also came from West Point and San Francisco):

• Copper, Large Date 1982 Copper Large Date
• Copper, Small Date 1982 Copper Small Date
• Zinc, Large Date 1982 Zinc Large Date
• Zinc, Small Date 1982 Zinc Small Date

Denver (D under the date):

• Copper, Large Date 1982-D Copper Large Date
• Zinc, Large Date 1982-D Zinc Large Date
• Zinc, Small Date 1982-D Zinc Small Date

A Denver Small Date in copper was not supposed to exist. Then, in 2017, NGC certified a genuine one found in a hoard of pennies from circulation 1982-D Copper Small Date (error). It is an extreme rarity. If your 1982-D is a Small Date and weighs like copper, have it authenticated before anything else.

Large Date or Small Date?

Look closely at the date:

• Large Date: the 9 and the 8 stand a little taller than the 1 and the 2. The tail of the 2 is straight.
• Small Date: the tops of all four numbers line up evenly. The tail of the 2 curves up slightly to the left.

The weight test

With a suitable scale (0.01 g): check calibration, zero it, and weigh each penny separately several times. Around 3.11 g is consistent with copper alloy; around 2.50 g with copper-plated zinc. Wear, damage, plating and measurement error can affect the result. Resolution is not the same as accuracy.

With a kitchen scale: a 1-gram scale is too coarse for reliable individual identification. A batch check can only show an approximate average:

1. Check that the scale shows 0 when it's empty.
2. Put ten 1982 pennies on it. Ten copper pennies weigh about 31 g. Ten zinc pennies weigh about 25 g.
3. Divide the total by 10 to get the weight of one coin.
4. An intermediate average may indicate a mixture, but does not identify any individual coin. Confirm each candidate on a suitable precise scale.

Do not authenticate a possible 1982-D Small Date copper cent from a group average, a coarse reading or a photograph.

Open the weight test in the app

What they're worth

Most 1982 pennies are common. Our G-4 catalogue estimates are 4¢ for the ordinary copper Large Date and 1¢ for its zinc counterpart. These estimates are not guaranteed sale proceeds or a claim about redeemable metal value. The rare Denver Small Date copper is the big exception.

Questions

Is my 1982 penny copper or zinc?

Weigh it. Copper 1982 pennies weigh about 3.11 g and copper-plated zinc ones about 2.50 g. A photo alone cannot reliably tell them apart; use a scale with 0.01 g resolution and repeat the reading.

How do I tell a 1982 small date from a large date?

On a Large Date the 9 and the 8 stand a little taller than the 1 and the 2, and the tail of the 2 is straight. On a Small Date the tops of all four numbers line up and the tail of the 2 curves up slightly.

Which 1982 penny is valuable?

The 1982-D Small Date struck in copper, an extreme rarity first certified by NGC in 2017. Most 1982 pennies are common: our G-4 estimates are 4¢ for the copper Large Date and 1¢ for the zinc Large Date.

Penny Value is an Android app for now, so it isn't on the App Store. The values and checks on this page are free to use.Penny Value is an Android app. Open this page on your Android phone to check your own penny with a photo.

Coins in this guide

• 1982 Copper Large Date

  Philadelphia · Part of the 10,712,525,000 1982 Philadelphia cents; US Mint figures don't split copper from zinc or Small from Large Date.

  4¢worn
• 1982 Copper Small Date

  Philadelphia · Part of the 10,712,525,000 1982 Philadelphia cents; US Mint figures don't split copper from zinc or Small from Large Date.

  4¢worn
• 1982 Zinc Large Date

  Philadelphia · Part of the 10,712,525,000 1982 Philadelphia cents; US Mint figures don't split copper from zinc or Small from Large Date.

  1¢worn
• 1982 Zinc Small Date

  Philadelphia · Part of the 10,712,525,000 1982 Philadelphia cents; US Mint figures don't split copper from zinc or Small from Large Date.

  1¢worn
• 1982-D Copper Large Date

  Denver · Part of the 6,012,979,368 1982-D cents; US Mint figures don't split copper from zinc or Small from Large Date.

  4¢worn
• 1982-D Zinc Large Date

  Denver · Part of the 6,012,979,368 1982-D cents; US Mint figures don't split copper from zinc or Small from Large Date.

  1¢worn
• 1982-D Zinc Small Date

  Denver · Part of the 6,012,979,368 1982-D cents; US Mint figures don't split copper from zinc or Small from Large Date.

  1¢worn
• 1982-D Copper Small Date (error)

  Denver · NGC reported a bronze Small Date 1982-D discovery in 2017; that report is not a current survivor count.

  ErrorTest first

  Rarely sold

Related guides

• How to check a penny in 60 seconds
• Lincoln penny key dates: the short list worth knowing

Sources

1. Wikipedia, “Lincoln cent” (accessed 2026-09-26)
2. NGC, “The Transitional Cents of 1982” (accessed 2026-10-05)
3. NGC, “NGC Certifies Unique Cent” (accessed 2026-10-05)
4. PCGS, “Looking for Those Lincoln Memorial Cent Small Dates” (accessed 2026-10-05)
5. PCGS, “Counterfeit 1972 Doubled Die Lincoln Cent” (accessed 2026-10-05)