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Metals Used In U.S. Coinage

Can you name the metallic elements that are currently used by the U.S. mint?
Bullion are non-circulating coins produced by the U.S. mint generally used for investing in precious metals
Quiz by Quizmaster
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Last updated: January 30, 2020
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First submittedJanuary 30, 2020
Times taken14,655
Average score75.0%
Rating4.32
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Keep scrolling down for answers and more stats ...
Penny
97.5%
Zinc
2.5%
Copper
 
 
Nickel
75%
Copper
25%
Nickel
Dime / Quarter / 50 Cent
91.67%
Copper
8.33%
Nickel
 
 
Dollar Coin
88.5%
Copper
6%
Zinc
3.5%
Manganese
2%
Nickel
Bullion
Gold
Silver
Platinum
Palladium
29 Comments
+8
Level 87
Jan 30, 2020
Embarrassing -- I was evidently the fourth person to take the quiz, and the only one of the four not to guess palladium.
+8
Level 75
Jan 30, 2020
You now have company. Had no idea about it.
+7
Level 79
Jan 31, 2020
I claim the most embarrassment. I have worked 30 years in the precious metals industry and failed to guess palladium or platinum
+1
Level 92
Jan 31, 2020
I just started guessing metallic elements for that and manganese...
+1
Level 73
Feb 18, 2020
I missed that and manganese
+1
Level 60
Jul 12, 2021
Well i missed nickel
+5
Level 77
Jan 31, 2020
Hmmmm, what metal could possibly be in a "nickel"????? Maybe change the clue to 5 cent piece . . .
+12
Level 79
Feb 1, 2020
On that basis one would expect a dime to be made of chocolate and butterscotch
+1
Level 69
Feb 25, 2020
even worse, i almost misspelled it
+3
Level 92
Jan 31, 2020
I find it hilarious there's 30x more copper in a nickel than a penny (as percent of total), but the penny is the copper-colored coin.
+3
Level 32
Oct 25, 2022
That is because the penny is only copper plated because putting any more copper would be too expensive. Despite this, the penny still costs more that one cent to produce...
+2
Level 56
Feb 6, 2020
Source?
+7
Level ∞
Feb 7, 2020
U.S. Mint. Too lazy too Google it right now.
+2
Level 81
Feb 17, 2020
Is this an admission or an accusation? :)
+2
Level 71
Feb 17, 2020
Got all but one without really pausing, then spend 1,5 minute to think if I left out an obvious metal (well I did, about a minute in I remembered lead, obviously it wasnt in it). Finally tried manganese, and dont know where that came from, was surprised it was right! (Had also tried tin and gallium but I knew that wasnt gonna be right)
+1
Level 71
Feb 17, 2020
Interesting btw how people do think of platinum and not palladium. I would have expected a bigger gap between platinum and gold/silver than between platinum and palladium.
+2
Level 71
Feb 17, 2020
Agreed with dovakhiin1. Platinum was obvious to me but palladium I only got by brute-forcing metals.
+2
Level 63
Feb 17, 2020
Had no idea about manganese or palladium. Otherwise got 'em all.
+1
Level 51
Jun 2, 2020
Got all of them.
+2
Level 50
Aug 20, 2020
I loooove refrigerators
+3
Level 51
Dec 10, 2020
Ok
+1
Level 51
Dec 17, 2020
8/8 good quiz 5 stars
+1
Level 67
Feb 23, 2021
I'm left wondering what in the world a bullion is and why it uses platinum, gold, and silver, all precious metals.
+2
Level 59
Aug 5, 2021
Bullion is a rare metal refined to a high level of purity. The most well known is probably a gold brick or bar. I didn't know that they are also made in coin form (or rather that thise are called bullion coins), but apparently, they do.
+1
Level 68
Aug 23, 2021
I almost missed nickel. That would have been embarrassing.
+1
Level 38
Oct 14, 2021
Missed Zinc. Damn Zincians.
+1
Level 60
Jun 15, 2023
Canada's are much less interesting:

The 5-50¢ are all ~93% steel, ~4% copper, ~3% nickel plating, the cursed hendecagonal 1$ is pure nickel, and the 2$ has a ring of nickel and a central 92% copper, 6% aluminium, and 2% nickel

+1
Level 67
Sep 6, 2023
The coins of the GDR where almost all made out of aluminium cause it was cheap, but if you get one in your hand they are so light that they feel like childrens play coins
+1
Level 68
Oct 31, 2023
Got palladium...missed nickel