1982 Zinc Large Date Lincoln Memorial Cent

The 1982 Zinc Large Date represents the new era of Lincoln cent production. Struck on the copper-plated zinc planchets that would become the standard composition from 1982 onward, these coins weigh 2.5 grams instead of the 3.1 grams of the outgoing bronze composition. The zinc core makes up 97.5% of the coin, with just 2.5% copper in the thin outer plating.

The transition to zinc was driven purely by economics. Copper had become too expensive to use in a coin worth one cent. The new planchets saved the Mint millions of dollars annually. Visually, the zinc and bronze cents are nearly identical when freshly struck, but over time they age differently. Zinc cents tend to develop dark, spotty corrosion rather than the warm brown patina of copper coins. The 1982 Zinc Large Date shares the combined Philadelphia mintage of over 10.7 billion and is common. It is an important piece of the seven-variety 1982 set.