Zinc pennies

[Plastic]

I just rolled and wrapped 4 years worth of change from my 5 gallon jug and have 35.00 in zinc pennies. I have read they are worth approx .85 of a cent, would you stash them away beside the copper pennies or turn them in and buy silver? Total "previously loose" change $1,145 will buy a nice bunch of 90% halves. Thanks for your replies.

[dimitri]

I would say that you should hang onto the pennies, unless you really need that $35 right now

[Silver Pirate]

I'm curious about this too. I just rolled a gallon of pennies today. I was going to keep the pre-82 pennies but now I am thinking about just turning them in. I know its probably the wrong thing to do, but I just can't see keeping them all. I am keeping the wheat pennies though.

I don't know a lot about different metals, but what is the problem with zinc? What are the chances it might be worth something someday as well?

[j-son]

dump the zinc and keep the copper.
your zinc pennies turned into silver might be a better bet.

[Plastic]

thanks man, I will turn them in. That extra 35.00 will get another 7-8 silver halves, at the very least it will be easier to stash and they dont corrode when burried in the ground unlike zinc.

[PdAgAu]

Good point j-son, especially with prices right now.
I wouldn't be surprised if zinc was worth more than a penny next year.
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[Mined Games]

dump the zinc and keep the copper.
your zinc pennies turned into silver might be a better bet.

This is my game plan as well. Plenty of time to hoard zinc down the road, but the coppers are going to slowly disappear from circulation.

BTW, when you said you got $35 worth of pennies from a 5 gallon jug, was that the entire content of the jug? I would have thought 5 gallons would yield much more than that.

[jedemdasseine]

+1 for dumping the zinc and keeping the copper.

Just for kicks, I have some bricks of copper pennies stashed away. Nothing I wouldn't mind losing if I had to up and leave on a moment's notice, though still enough that I could easily take 'em with me given enough time. I'm not at my bugout location, so I can't afford to have barrels of copper cents and a team of Ryedales sorting round the clock.

Anymore, any spare change goes to preps and bullets. But I'm happy with my little copper stash. Goes well with my scrap copper collection.

An added bonus of sorting pennies it that I've accumulated a couple rolls worth of wheat backs while sorting the zincolns from the coppers.

Wish I were in Canada to sort the pre-82 .999 nickels.

Gresham's Law is an amazing thing.