Pennies as jackets

[xman777]

I know of a few times this has been discussed. They usually result in someone blindly paraphrasing the law about destruction of currency. Thanks in advance on whether you have advice about this, but it won't be needed here.

Now that's out of the way, why aren't people doing this? I'd imagine that making dies for this is not impossible, and the operating cost would be extremely low once being able to realize .01 bullet jackets. If you're going to spend 5-25 cents on a jacket anyways, why not just destroy a perfectly good penny and put it to use in another fashion? I'd prefer to think of it as "upcycling"

[obssd1958]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't pennies currently made out of Zinc? and jackets out of copper?
Not bustin' your chops, just confused.

[Magana559]

Yup they zinc now

[xman777]

Pre 82's which I have a metric ton of are almost entirely copper. My grandmother hoarded them... along with plenty of junk silver I'm just the lucky recipient.

[bdicki]

I know of a few times this has been discussed. They usually result in someone blindly paraphrasing the law about destruction of currency. Thanks in advance on whether you have advice about this, but it won't be needed here.

I destroyed a few pennies at Disney turning them into Mickey mouse. Disney wouldn't do anything illegal.

[bangerjim]

Right.........now ones are Zn. And hard!

Back in the "goode olde daze", we could rely on pennies for pure Cu, nickels for a source of Ni, dimes, quarters, and halves for a source of almost pure Ag. Can't make inlays or jewelry out of that carp today!

Today it is all garbage.......plated, sandwiched, alloyed.............garbage.


banger

[anotherred]

If you got true copper pennies, resell them and use the money for jackets.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

1909-1982 Pennies are 95% copper and 5% zinc.
http://www.coinflation.com/coins/190...nny-Value.html

[bangerjim]

All minted coinage has always had a small amount of "hardening" alloy added to promote long-term wear resistance. The the old silver coins are not pure but are slightly hardened. Even gold coins are not pure. Only those certified "bullion" coins are pure Au. And all those silver bullion coins on TV are .999 pure Ag. Silver dollars are not pure.

But we used to treat them as a pure source of silver and gold.

banger

[williamwaco]

If you got true copper pennies, resell them and use the money for jackets.

I expect those pennies are worth more than jackets.

They are worth WAY more than a few cents each.

PS:

If you want to do it, it is NOT illegal

18 U.S. Code § 331 - Mutilation, diminution, and falsification of coins

Whoever fraudulently alters, defaces, mutilates, impairs, diminishes, falsifies, scales, or lightens any of the coins coined at the mints of the United States, or any foreign coins which are by law made current or are in actual use or circulation as money within the United States; or

Whoever fraudulently possesses, passes, utters, publishes, or sells, or attempts to pass, utter, publish, or sell, or brings into the United States, any such coin, knowing the same to be altered, defaced, mutilated, impaired, diminished, falsified, scaled, or lightened—
Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.

[WallyM3]

"
Whoever fraudulently alters, defaces, mutilates, impairs, diminishes, falsifies, scales, or lightens any of the coins coined at the mints of the United States, or any foreign coins which are by law made current or are in actual use or circulation as money within the United States; or

Whoever fraudulently possesses, passes, utters, publishes, or sells, or attempts to pass, utter, publish, or sell, or brings into the United States, any such coin, knowing the same to be altered, defaced, mutilated, impaired, diminished, falsified, scaled, or lightened—
Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both."

How do you "utter" a coin?

[GRUMPA]

"How do you "utter" a coin?

By taking it out of the "utter" pocket.

[bangerjim]

That utter coin is the change in Barry's "Hype & Change" he promised all those under-informed voters.......... 2X!

[WallyM3]

I knew there had to be comprehensible answers.

[wills]

"


Whoever fraudulently possesses, passes, utters, publishes, or sells, or attempts to pass, utter, publish, or sell, or brings into the United States, any such coin, knowing the same to be altered, defaced, mutilated, impaired, diminished, falsified, scaled, or lightened—
Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both."

How do you "utter" a coin?

http://dictionary.law.com/Default.as...d=utter&type=1

[WallyM3]

Ah, a coin is a "document".

Lawyers will do anything to be wordy.

[clodhopper]

The more pre 82 pennies turned into jackets, the more value those un altered will have.
I wonder how uniform the resulting jacket would be. Lincon's head going up one side his chest going up the other side.
What caliber of bullets are you thinking of?

[rsrocket1]

How do you "utter" a coin?

By milking it, just like milking the "victim" card. It is worth a penny.

BTW, a zinc penny makes a great washer and costs less. Not that I would ever do such a thing.

[MOcaster]

1909-1982 Pennies are 95% copper and 5% zinc.
http://www.coinflation.com/coins/190...nny-Value.html

Isn't that the same composition as gilding metal?

[PbHurler]

Isn't that the same composition as gilding metal?

Sho' nuff

Not sure of the temper though, I guess you could anneal if need be.