What are pennies made of today?

A penny is not what you think. Indeed, from 1793 to 1837, a cent was pure copper. But newer pennies are made mostly of zinc. Here's the history, according to the U.S. Mint: From 1837 to 1857, the cent was made of bronze (95 percent copper, and five percent tin and zinc). read more

A penny is the lowest form of American currency, worth only one cent, and is popularly believed to be made solely of copper. However, the common penny has been made of a variety of materials over the years, with copper even being removed completely in 1943. Today, a penny is made of 97.5 percent zinc, and 2.5 percent copper. read more

At one point in 1973, when the price of copper rose, the U.S. mint experimented with a completely different material. 1,579,324 pennies were produced out of Aluminum (dated 1974), and were made ready for public release. read more