Are Coins and Pennies Magnetic? (Why?) [2023] - Simply Magnet?

One of the main reasons some coins are magnetic is the metal they are made of . Iron and steel are magnetic, so if a coin contains these metals, it will be attracted to a magnet. This is why some older coins, such as pennies, are magnetic, while others, such as dimes and quarters, are not.

Why is a penny magnetic?

Copper-plated coins are attracted to magnets because of the iron content of the steel core , whereas bronze coins are not magnetic.

Will a penny stick to a magnet?

A steel penny is the only one that will stick to the magnet . Here's the magic part (drumroll please). If a penny sticks to the magnet, check the date. A 1943 circulated penny that sticks is worth 10 cents or so.

Are Coins and Pennies Magnetic? (Why?) [2023]

We need money to buy anything from a minor necessity to any big thing. It can be in the form of coins, pennies, or notes. But what kind of material is used in their making. Are the coins and pennies the same products? We know they are metallic; every coin is metallic. From ancient times to nowadays, coins have been used. In ancient times, gold and silver coins were used, and now coins are being made from various metals like nickel and copper.

If coins and pennies are metallic, then whether they are magnetic or not? Do they attract magnets or not? What proportion of metals is used? Do they make up of pure metals, or any other material is also used? These all questions are interrelated, and the reason of one can explain the other questions too.

Without further ado, Let’s find out!

Table of Contents

Are Pennies Magnetic?

If we look into history, the metals used for manufacturing pennies have been changed over time. Pennies before 1992 were not magnetic. Before 1992 the pennies were made of copper and zinc, which both were non-magnetic, the idea of steel pennies came during World War II, and they started making steel pennies.

Are Coins Magnetic?

Before 1992, coins were made up of bronze, which is non-magnetic, so coins were also non-magnetic, but after 1992, they decided to use steel for coin manufacturing, and now the coins made of steel are magnetic.

If we want to check whether magnets work with steel or not? Just take a stack of coins and put a magnet near the stack. It will attract two maximum coins from the stack, but the attraction further lowers. This is due to increasing distance. As the distance increases, attraction decreases.

Why are Coins and Pennies Magnetic?

We have studied that the coins and pennies made of steel are magnetic because steel is made up of iron. Iron is that metal that shows ferromagnetism due to unpaired electrons. Unpaired electrons create their magnetic field under the applied magnetic field and attract to them.

Iron contains four unpaired electrons, a significant number to show magnetism that’s why iron is magnetic, and anything made up of iron will also be magnetic. So coins and pennies should also be magnetic.

Coins with the different metal

In the early stages, coins were made up of silver or gold, which both are diamagnetic. Hence, coins made of silver and iron were non-magnetic.

Platinum coins are also non-magnetic.
Bronze is an alloy, a mixture of copper and tin or nickel; although nickel is magnetic, a minimal amount of it is used, so bronze is non-magnetic and the coins made of bronze are also non-magnetic.
Nowadays, coins for common use are mostly made up of steel or nickel-plated steel which both are ferromagnetic, so today’s coins should be magnetic. Gold coins are, however, only used for gift purposes and not in everyday use.

It was a general discussion now. Let us discuss some coins specifically because different countries have different currencies, and the composition of currency also differs.

Are Coins and Pennies Magnetic? (Why?) [2023] - Simply Magnet (2)

Are US Coins and Pennies Magnetic?

US coins are made up of copper and nickel. Nickel is magnetic so US coins should be magnetic, but when checked, they came up to be non-magnetic. But why so? In copper-nickel alloy, we know copper is non-magnetic. US coins contain only 25 percent nickel and 75 percent copper. That’s why they are non-magnetic. Let’s also talk about the US currency, i.e., penny, quarter, and dime.

The quarteris 91 percent copper and 9 percent nickel, therefore it is non-magnetic.
Dimeis also 91.5 percent copper and 8.5 percent nickel, therefore it is non-magnetic.
Pennyis 97.5 percent zinc and 2.5 percent copper. Both metals are non-magnetic, so US Penny is also non-magnetic.

Here we have seen in addition to coins, other US currencies are also non-magnetic.

Are British Coins magnetic?

In the UK, the composition of coins has been changed. For 1p and 2p coins, it has been changed from bronze to steel with copper plating, and for 5p and 10p coins, it has been changed from copper-nickel alloy to steel with nickel plating. Hence the denominator is steel, again iron, so UK coins are also magnetic.

Are Dutch Coins Magnetic?

Dutch coins, i.e., Netherlands currency, are also magnetic. They are composed of nickel with some bronze plating. Although bronze is non-magnetic, nickel is highly magnetic, so Dutch coins are overall magnetic.

Are Canadian Coins Magnetic?

Canadian coins and pennies made in 2002 are composed of nickel-plated steel, so they are also magnetic.

Conclusion

Historically the composition of coins and pennies has changed from time to time. As base metals prices have risen in previous decades, coins are now mostly copper-plated steel rather than bronze or nickel.

But if we see the present coins, they do not seem to be much different than the previous ones, this is due to the plating. The same metals have been used in plating, but the base composition has been changed. The plating is done under high pressure, so it does not wear off quickly. The only property which differentiates these coins is magnetism.

The property to show magnetism entirely depends upon the composition. Here we have concluded that some coins and pennies are magnetic while some are not. It depends upon the country as the composition for coins and pennies varies from country to country, just as it differs for currency in note form. In some countries, the simple paper is used, while in some, water-resistant polymers are used.

In the same way, British coins are magnetic while American coins are non-magnetic. Whatever country it is, if the coins and pennies are made up of steel or nickel, they will be magnetic. If they are composed of bronze, silver, or copper, then they will be non-magnetic.

Are Coins and Pennies Magnetic? (Why?) [2023] - Simply Magnet (2024)