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478 Posts |
 Posted - 10/21/2006 : 17:13:05
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Dictionary definition of BRONZE:
Alloy of copper and tin.
Dictionary definition of BRASS:
Alloy of copper and zinc.
I think some early production wheat pennies may have been true bronze alloy.
Opinions appreciated.
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pencilvanian
1000+ Penny Miser Member
USA
2209 Posts |
Posted - 10/22/2006 : 10:00:59
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You are correct Cupronickel.
For the Lincoln Penny from 1909-1942 and 1944-1962 the composition was bronze (1943 was the year of the steel penny). The public was used to calling the penny ‘copper’ and no one government wise or coin collecting wise tried to correct the error.
In 1962 the US Mint changed the composition of the penny from 95% copper 5%tin and zinc to 95% copper 5%zinc.
From 1962-1981 and for some dated 1982, the penny is listed as copper in most coin books, although the composition would be brass. Again, no one fought to correct the error.
Also, when we say brass, we think of a bright yellow metal, not the red color our pennies come in.
I guess in order to prevent confusion, it was easier just to call the penny a copper coin, which technically it is since copper makes up 95% of its metal content.
If I am not mistaken, the reason the mint stopped using Tin in 1962 was due to the rising price of Tin back then, much the same way we are seeing the rising price of just about every other metal today. |
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73 Posts |
Posted - 10/22/2006 : 19:16:01
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If wikipedia is an accurate source I can understand and would prefer to just call them all copper.
If the following is incorrect blame wikipedia:
For instance it appears BRONZE is broad term used for any copper alloy. It can be copper combined with tin, phosphorus, manganese, aluminium, silicon, or ZINC. Which would make BRASS a subset of BRONZE.
They refer to BRONZE typicaly being more like 60% copper/40% tin, but call 95% copper/5% tin alloys ALPHA BRONZE, if you wanted to be very specific. They also say the what is called COMMERCIAL BRONZE is 90% copper/10% zinc (which would be BRASS).
Now the page on BRASS says it is a copper/zinc alloy containing 5%-45% zinc. So pennies are barely on the edge of classifying as BRASS. It also appears that before you get the alloy to be yellow rather than looking as copper the alloy needs to have 20% zinc (or higher I'd assume).
So technically looks like if it's BRASS it must also be BRONZE, but if it's BRONZE it doesn't have to be BRASS. If that sentence doesn't make sense it's be like saying if you have a porsche then you have a car, but if you say you have a car that doesn't mean you have a porsche (Neglecting the fact that I believe they also make SUV's, so maybe vehicle would've been a better word than car for the analogy). So if you wanted to nit-pick you could say all pre-1982 (minus 1943) pennies are BRONZE and be correct, but you can't say they are all BRASS, though some of them are.
Do I make any sense, or did I just confuse everybody more? |
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pencilvanian
1000+ Penny Miser Member
USA
2209 Posts |
Posted - 10/22/2006 : 19:49:43
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You made it very clear, eccentric.
95% copper 5% TIN= bronze
95% copper 5% ZINC= brass
I just thought, apparently incorrectly, that bronze had to be a brownish color and brass a yellowish color.
Looks like brass and bronze are like identical twins, its tough to tell them apart unless you really do an in depth study.
Thanks for the in depth research. Much appreciated.
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Edited by - pencilvanian on 10/22/2006 19:54:54 |
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Pre-82 Penny. BRONZE or BRASS?
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