How Many Pennies Per Pound
Ever wonder how many pennies there were in a pound of pennies?
This changes based on the type of metal that makes up the penny.
The basics:
Pennies per Pound |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Metal Composition | Weight per Penny | Count per Pound | Count per Ton* |
| Copper Penny | 95% copper, 5% zinc | 3.11 grams | 147 | 294,000 |
| Zinc Penny | 97.5% zinc, 2.5% copper | 2.5 grams | 182 | 364,000 |
| Wheat Cent | 95% copper, 5% zinc, >1% tin | 3.11 grams | 147 | 147,000 |
| Steel Cent | Steel with zinc outer coating | 2.7 grams | 168 | 336,000 |
*How many pounds in a ton: There are 2,000 pounds in a ton
See below for greater detail:
Copper Pennies per Pound
Metal content of copper pennies: 95% copper, 5% zinc, brass.
Copper pennies per pound: 147.
Weight of a copper penny: 3.11 grams uncirculated.*
Zinc Pennies per Pound
Metal content of zinc pennies: 97.5% zinc, 2.5% copper, copper plated.
Zinc pennies per pound: 182.
Weight of a zinc penny: 2.5 grams uncirculated.*
Wheat Cent Pennies (1909-1942)
Year Range of Penny: 1909 to 1942.
Metal content of copper pennies: 95% copper, 5% zinc with small mix of tin. Copper pennies are brass.
Design of wheat cent Penny:
Obverse (head/front): Lincoln.
Reverse (tails/back): Wheat Stalks on either side.
Wheat cents per pound: 147.
Weight of a wheat cent: 3.11 grams uncirculated.*
Steel Wheat Cents (1943)
Year Range of Penny: 1943.
Metal content of copper pennies: Steel (magnetic penny).
Design of wheat cent Penny:
Obverse (head/front): Lincoln.
Reverse (tails/back): Wheat Stalks on either side.
Steel pennies per pound: 168.
Weight of a steel penny: 2.70 grams uncirculated.*
Wheat Cent Pennies (1944-1946)
Year Range of Penny: 1942 to 1944.
Metal content of copper pennies: 95% copper, 5% zinc. Melted down and re-purposed brass leftover shell casings from World War II.
Design of wheat cent Penny:
Obverse (head/front): Lincoln.
Reverse (tails/back): Wheat Stalks on either side.
Wheat cents per pound: 147.
Weight of a wheat cent: 3.11 grams uncirculated.*
Wheat Cent Pennies (1947-1958)
Year Range of Penny: 1947 to 1958.
Metal content of copper pennies: 95% copper, 5% zinc with small mix of tin, brass.
Design of wheat cent Penny:
Obverse (head/front): Lincoln.
Reverse (tails/back): Wheat Stalks on either side.
Copper pennies per pound: 147.
Weight of a copper penny: 3.11 grams uncirculated.*
Memorial Cent Pennies (1959-2008)
Year Range of Penny: 1959 to 2008.
Metal content of copper pennies (1958-1982): 95% copper, 5% zinc, brass.
Metal content of zinc pennies (1982-2008): 97.5% zinc, 2.5% copper.
Design of memorial Penny:
Obverse (head/front): Lincoln.
Reverse (tails/back): Memorial Building.
Copper pennies per pound: 147.
Zinc pennies per pound: 182.
Weight of a copper penny: 3.11 grams uncirculated.*
Weight of a zinc penny: 2.5 grams uncirculated.*
Lincoln Bicentennial Cent Pennies (2009)
Year Range of Penny: 2009.
Metal content of 2009 pennies (2009): 97.5% zinc, 2.5% zinc.
Design of 2009 Penny:
Obverse (head/front): Lincoln.
Reverse (tails/back): Birthplace, Formative Year, Professional Life, and Presidency.
2009 pennies per pound: 182.
Weight of a 2009 penny: 2.5 grams uncirculated.*
Shield Cent Pennies
(2010-Present)
Year Range of Penny: 2010-Present.
Metal content of shield pennies: 97.5% zinc, 2.5% zinc.
Design of shield Penny:
Obverse (head/front): Lincoln.
Reverse (tails/back): Union Shield.
Shield pennies per pound: 182.
Weight of a shield penny: 2.5 grams uncirculated.*
*Figures may vary with actual coins weighed due to wear and tear, potential corrosion, and various dirt that can fixate to the coins.
Copper pennies were minted in 1982 and older. Zinc pennies were minted in 1982 and newer. The exception is in 1943 when the penny was minted out of steel.
There are approximately 147 copper pennies per pound.
Read: How many pennies are in a ton
Read: Cost to Make a Penny
Wheat cents come in with the same basic weight as copper cents, though there are many more metal impurities in them. The impurities are considered to be insignificant as those impurities generally make up less than 1% of the overall coin. Note that the most of these impurities are tin.
You can buy your own unsearched wheat cents to search for rare pennies here:
Buy Wheat Cents
How many pounds in a ton
There are 2,000 pounds in a ton based upon the United States standard, non-metric system.
Just as there are 2,000 pounds in a ton, there are 453.592 grams per pound.
Fun facts on why geography matters with the ton:
There are actually two types of tons: a short ton and a long ton (or tonne).
A short ton is used in the United States and Canada and equals 2,000 pounds.
In the United Kingdom, the imperial system is utilized which is a long ton or tonne. A long ton equals 2,240 pounds which equals 1,016 kilograms.
In addition, in areas where the metric system is used a ton referred to as a metric ton equals 1,000 kilograms.
How much does a nickel Weigh
A nickel weighs 5.00 grams. There are 91 nickels in a pound. To be precise: 90.7184 nickels in a pound exactly so one would need to round up.
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How many pounds in a ton?
Never knew how much a nickel weighed before. Thought nickel was much much smaller.
Thanks
