How pennies were made before 1964?

Before 1964, pennies were primarily made of 95% copper and 5% tin and zinc, giving them a distinctive reddish-brown color. The coins were produced through a process of stamping, where blank metal discs were struck with engraved dies to create the final design. The use of copper contributed to the penny's weight and durability. However, due to rising copper prices, the composition changed in 1962, leading to the introduction of the zinc-coated steel penny in 1943 and then the return to a copper-plated zinc composition in 1982.