Rich P. writes:Â Hello, My wife found a 1959 Lincoln cent that appears to be lead or zinc. I have seen plenty of the 1943 vintage like this, but never 1959. What can you tell me? Thanks for the help, Rich.
There are no zinc pennies made in 1959. All are brass with a weight of 3.11 grams. If your 1959 cent weighs this amount or a tiny bit more, it has been plated. If it weighs considerably more or less than it is counterfeit. I have seen lead copies of cents made from a copy die of a real cent. It’s possible it was practice for some more ambitious project. If you want to, you can send your coin to the American Numismatic Association for certification. You can go to their web site  for more information about their services and to request an application.
