What is the price of copper?  Will pennies be worth more melted down, soon?
964724
In August, 2006 for the first time ever, the penny started costing more to make than it is actually worth. So the US mint loses money when it makes pennies because it costs 1.2 cents to make a 1 cent coin. They are made of 98% zinc, and the plating is copper (2%).\nThis is why there is currently a bill (called the COIN Act) in Congress to stop producing the penny. If that is passed, then banks will collect the pennies (in exchange for other coins or bills) and send them to the government. I think they would then melt it, separate the different metals, and sell the metal.
1023927
40 cents...today? What are you talking about?
831330
After looking it up on the internet, it looks like a scam.  Try looking up Iridium Copper and see for yourself.
559286
The cost of copper has skyrocketed. As we reach the end of the oil age things are going to get more and more expensive.
628939
Easy. A penny and a 1972 dime that has a value of 29 cents. Another thing, get a life and think of something original.
399342
I has about one ounce of gold. It is a common date. $20 gold pieces in general are worth a little more than the gold content. The value is dependent on the condition. If it is uncirculated--no wear--it is worth the most. With gold currently at $641, I would guess about $700. An uncirculated coin maybe $750. If it is soldered to the chain, that will lower the value to the price of gold.
739376
old two cent piece..\n\n40 pennies , 8 nickles, 2 dimes
105870
Simple economics, if we get rid of the penny then inflation would take over. Which means higer prices on everything.
114513
A pair of 24-k gold plated 1937 buffalo nickels just sold for $4.25 plus $2 shipping and handling.  Thus, yours is probably worth just over $2.
1130318
The cent, once a copper coin, is now composed of copper-plated zinc. Copper-plated cents cost less to manufacture, and at 2.5 grams each, they weigh about 20% less than the older cent, which was 95 percent copper and 5 percent zinc.\n\nSo there's not enough copper there to make it worth your while -- it will cost more to get the copper than the value of the metal, even at $4 per pound.
424612
Pennies aren't copper any more they're mostly Zinc!  And the other coins aren't silver they're mostly made out of nickle.  (which is how the 5 cent piece got called a nickle, but now all the "Silver" coins are nickle.)\n\nAs to why back in the day pennys were made out of copper?  because it was a cheap metal that wouldn't corrode too badly.
1060798
Any legal tender coin or bill is worth its face value in commerce. There are many examples of the mony being worth more on the collector or metals markets. A 1922 penny is only worth a penny at the store, but if it has no mint mark, collectors will be falling over each other with fists full of $$ to claim it. The same is true on a smaller scale with the new quarters and nickles, as many collectors will pay a premium over face value for the right one or ones. On the metals market the valuation of the coin(s) reflects the price of its metal at the time. A silver dime is worth its weight in silver on the market, yet may be more valuable to collectors due to date and condition. It definately pays to do a bit of research if you have an old or unusual piece of currency as you just may have hit the proverbial "jackpot".
1010968
Copper prices as all other commodity prices will fluctuate.  Scrap metal prices for copper, brass, and aluminum are way off their recent highs but I believe they will remain at these historical highs.  For current scrap metal prices go to http://www.demolition1.blogspot.com
266591
If memory serves me correctly, they're a US penny with Lincoln on them.  They're silver looking because copper was too valuable during the war effort and were made out of a low grade steel.  Fairly rare now, but only worth anything if they're of "mint" quality.
62728
The single year of 1943 the cents were made of steel with a zinc coating.\n\nThe war effort took all the copper resources from the country and the mint gave into the cause as well. The following years the cents used copper from melted shell casings.\n\nAs for value they sell for from .35 cents in good condition to uncirculated specimens for about 3 dollars.
622708
Yep, a lot of it depends on how your items are priced.  For example, if there's nothing marked 4 cents, you won't need any pennies.  Just round all the prices up to the closest nickel.  In my experience, you won't really run out of nickels either, so you don't need so many of those (maybe 15).\n\nYou never will know exactly how much you need.  However, I'd avoid having any bills bigger than 5's.  Perhaps have a few 5's just in case, but tens and twenties will show up faster than you need them.  Worry more about having enough singles (at least 10 or 15) and quarters and dimes.  Aside from that, I think the previous questioner was on target.
124405
Not right now. Those are still in circulation. You need to wait a few more years, decades even-- and at that those bills will only be worth a higher value if they are in mint condition.