Wheat Pennies....where have they gone?

[Circle C Digger]

Been doing a lot of detecting lately at some older parks around town. I have managed to find many silver nickles, dimes, and quarters. However, I have only been able to find Lincoln head pennies, which are usually very corroded. Most of the pennies I find are from the 80s and newer. Does a penny corrode completely after a period of time?

Circle C Digger

 

[Mike in Tn]

You are finding zinc pennies. Which were minted from the early 80's until present. Copper cents will remain in fairly good shape for many years in the ground. Zinc pennies however WILL eventually corrode away completely. Let's hope they don't start making other coins out of zinc.

 

[Circle C Digger]

Just found my first Wheat Penny (1958 D) at a local park. On the Whites VDI meter it registered as a 65 (like a dime). Depending on how corroded they are zinc pennies register in the 30s to low 50s, which is in the pull tab area. Does anyone know where a steel penny or Indian Head penny would register on the VDI meter?

I may be more selective now since I'm starting to get tired of digging up corroded pennies.

Circle C Digger

 

[Texas T]

In Texas acid soil moderns corrode in 3/5 yrs, on the beach after a year or so they just kind of "Melt. I have 1 1887 Indian-Head slightly corroded.I have 515 Wheaties with out a mark on them.
Soil cond. determines live span & cond = how long they have been down.

 

[Bluesman2007]

Hello,

I'm brand new at this hobby, been doing it for like a week now. First coin I ever found, after many hours of searching, was a 1952 Wheat Penny. So far I'm averageing about .08 cents an hour with my toy, lol.

 

[Circle C Digger]

Just found a 1926 Wheat Penny this week in Claremore, OK. That makes 14 Wheaties in two weeks.

Circle C Digger