Why are some pennies different colors?

Copper Lincoln pennies arranged by darkening shades of red to brown. Additionally, depending upon the environment where you store your copper coins, the surface of the copper may turn different colors. These toned coins can be beautiful or ugly. Some copper coins may take on an iridescent golden red.

Why are pennies lighter now?

The new penny looked identical to the previous coins but it was cheaper to produce. While the new penny was the exact same size as the old one, it weighed less because zinc is slightly less dense than copper. The change from copper to zinc took place in 1982. The lighter pennies will be from 1982-85.

Why do some pennies turn green?

When copper turns green-blue, that means the copper was oxidized by oxygen and chlorine (often found in salt). This oxidation reaction creates a different compound called malachite, which is green-blue in color. Keep the acid solutions that the pennies were soaking in to create copper coated nails.

What does it mean if a penny is red?

The definition of a Red coin is a coin that has at least 95\% Red and up to 100\% Red surfaces. That extra 1\% or 5\% of the original Red color usually costs collectors huge premiums.

Why do copper coins change Colour?

The copper reacts with oxygen molecules in a process known as oxidation. After oxidation has taken place, the byproduct of this reaction leaves a layer of green film on the surface of the penny.

Why do older pennies have greater mass?

Different metals change the mass of a penny because they have different densities. During World War 2, a copper shortage caused pennies to be made mostly of zinc. And finally, the ratio of copper to zinc was changed in 1982, again changing the mass of a penny.

When did they stop putting copper into pennies?

1982
The alloy remained 95 percent copper and 5 percent zinc until 1982, when the composition was changed to 97.5 percent zinc and 2.5 percent copper (copper-plated zinc). Cents of both compositions appeared in that year.

What turns a penny Black?

When oxygen binds with copper, they form a new molecule known as copper oxide. Copper oxide is brownish or sometimes black in color (depending on other things in the penny’s environment). This is why most pennies you see look dirty or tarnished—it’s not actually dirt but copper oxide that makes them look so dull.

What happens if you put a penny in vinegar?

When you put your dirty pennies in the vinegar and salt, the copper oxide and some of the copper dissolve in the water. That means some copper atoms leave the penny and start floating around in the liquid. Like the copper atoms, each of the iron atoms that dissolves leaves two electrons behind.