Lincoln cent 1982-D weighs 3.02 grams, underweight but why?
WillieBoyd2
Posts: 5,037 ✭✭✭✭✭
I received this 1982-D Lincoln cent in change a couple of days ago.
I save the copper Lincoln cents and know that in 1982 the US mints made both copper and zinc cents.
The copper cents are supposed to weigh 3.11 grams and the zinc cents 2.50 grams.
This one weighs 3.02 grams:
United States Lincoln cent 1982-D
The coin is discolored but doesn't look damaged or even much circulated.
To check my scale I weighed several pre-1980 cents and always got 3.11 or 3.12 grams. I also weighed some other coins and they showed correct weights.
One explanation is that the "correct" weight of 3.11 grams is an average and that these cents can weigh from 2.98 grams to 3.30 grams. However I can not find an "official" statement of this mint tolerance.
I did find a 1982-D 3.01 gram cent on Ebay which sold for $4.00 so these underweight cents do exist.
Does anyone have an explanation for the low weight?
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Comments
It's well within tolerance for a copper cent.
Tolerance for copper cents is .13 grams, & for copper, 2 grains.
Take your weight of 3.02, add .13 = within tolerance
for PCGS. A 49+-Year PNG Member...A full numismatist since 1972, retired in 2022
Is the 0.13 gram tolerance stated anywhere officially?
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The post above yours is official enough for me.
I take my info from what I believe was
Vol. 1 of the Mega Red Book.
I have copies of the three pages of weights
of all US coins, Titled "Specifications and Tolerances
for U.S. Coins", pages 367 thru 369.
I didn't write down the name of the book itself,
but it appears to be a Whitman Book, and I think
it's from the Mega book appendix/back of book.
for PCGS. A 49+-Year PNG Member...A full numismatist since 1972, retired in 2022
Thank you for your help with this question.
Now let's see who has the lightest or heaviest 1982 cent.
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Chart in Coin World Almanac says weight tolerance 1.9 grains, which would be 0.123 grams.
Could be a counterfeit.
My sheet published by U.S. Government (revised in 1976) only goes to 1962 (same standard for copper cents up to Zinc alloy) gives 3.11 grams with .130 tolerance which confirms what Mr. Weinberg posted.
It's not a counterfeit.
It's well within tolerance.
Nothing special about it at all.
.....sorry
for PCGS. A 49+-Year PNG Member...A full numismatist since 1972, retired in 2022
Yes, the Mega Red Book has weights and tolerances... I have used it as well... Overall, the Mega is a fantastic reference book. Cheers, RickO
What @FredWeinberg said in his posts!