1974 Aluminum Cent tested - 1982 Zinc Used - Why?
MsMorrisine
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Why was aluminum ruled out?
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WS
One complaint used against the aluminum format was that the coin was too light, and if you dropped one into a vending machine it might not fall through but instead get hung up in the mechanism.
<< <i>Copper industry was probably too powerful (as today) to allow Congress to authorize the metal change.
WS >>
Today's cents contain only a trace amount of copper. I can't see how it would be worth a serious lobbying effort.
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<< <i>was that the coin was too light, and if you dropped one into a vending machine it might not fall through but instead get hung up in the mechanism. >>
Cap, do you mean counting machines? I can't recall any vending machines accepting cents back in the day.
<< <i>
<< <i>was that the coin was too light, and if you dropped one into a vending machine it might not fall through but instead get hung up in the mechanism. >>
Cap, do you mean counting machines? I can't recall any vending machines accepting cents back in the day. >>
the only thing I could think of were gum machines.
my dad's place had a lion's club 1cent chiclet machine.
<< <i>If you've ever handled an aluminum coin you'd know why. They truly are monopoly money and would have cheapened the brand (The US) significantly. >>
Japan's 1 Yen has been aluminum for yearsand years.
<< <i>
<< <i>If you've ever handled an aluminum coin you'd know why. They truly are monopoly money and would have cheapened the brand (The US) significantly. >>
Japan's 1 Yen has been aluminum for yearsand years. >>
?? So?
<< <i>If you've ever handled an aluminum coin you'd know why. They truly are monopoly money and would have cheapened the brand (The US) significantly. >>
I like aluminum coins though this is relatively new for me and I understand why many
people don't.
But I never preferred a little zinc "pill" which is just a toxic slug with a copper coating
to aluminum. Look at a handfull of pennies and see how ghastly they are. They are
bleeding corrosion and zinc oxide. They are dirty because they don't circulate.
We are poorer every time one is made. Throwing them away doesn't help because they
just make more. Pennies should be recalled for proper disposal and the nickel should
be made of aluminum. The dollar coin must circulate. Once people are used to the changes
the nickel can be made a little smaller.
How could anything be worse than the current situation?
<< <i>Mainly lobbying.
One complaint used against the aluminum format was that the coin was too light, and if you dropped one into a vending machine it might not fall through but instead get hung up in the mechanism. >>
Ha ha ha! Now this is funny since I don't ever recall "vending machines" taking cents with the exception of the lowly "gumball dispenser"!
Do vending machine even takes cents today??
The name is LEE!
<< <i>If you've ever handled an aluminum coin you'd know why. They truly are monopoly money and would have cheapened the brand (The US) significantly. >>
Yeah, because the zinc crap we have now presents such a high class image.
<< <i>
<< <i>
<< <i>If you've ever handled an aluminum coin you'd know why. They truly are monopoly money and would have cheapened the brand (The US) significantly. >>
Japan's 1 Yen has been aluminum for yearsand years. >>
?? So? >>
I think the design for it makes it look more like Monopoly money. The crappy way aluminum oxidizes doesn't help.
Spotted and bubbled Zincolns aren't such a good case for our choice either.
The few pics of the 74 aluminums haven't been so bad looking.
<< <i>
<< <i>was that the coin was too light, and if you dropped one into a vending machine it might not fall through but instead get hung up in the mechanism. >>
Cap, do you mean counting machines? I can't recall any vending machines accepting cents back in the day. >>
Doesn't matter. People, especially kids, drop coins into machines that they are not intended for.
Perhaps so, but zinc is highly toxic when ingested. There are numerous accounts of kids and pets ingesting the zinc cents, and when the stomach acid eats through the thin copper cladding and exposes the zinc, the patient is quickly in trouble.
<< <i>"I always thought it was something about aluminum being toxic when ingested... >>
Ya mean like "Zinc Toxicity" ?
The name is LEE!
<< <i>Politics... end of story. Cheers, RickO >>
Totally agree. The zinc industry needed some additional uses; and had more effective contacts with Washington. And, though it is still rather light in weight, it would not seem to be quite as 'cheap' as aluminum.
<< <i>Japan's 1 Yen has been aluminum for years and years. >>
They don't circulate, nearly everything is rounded to the nearest 10 yen.
60 years into this hobby and I'm still working on my Lincoln set!
<< <i>
<< <i>was that the coin was too light, and if you dropped one into a vending machine it might not fall through but instead get hung up in the mechanism. >>
Cap, do you mean counting machines? I can't recall any vending machines accepting cents back in the day. >>
The would jam ANY vending machine. The ones that don't take cents should direct the cent back to the coin return, but the aluminum coins are
so light, they don't trip the coin return mechanism.