Frequently Asked Questions about Pressed Pennies
Frequently asked questions about penny presses, pressed pennies, and our products:
What are elongates?
Coins or tokens that are squeezed between two rollers into a thin oval shape, and are embossed with pictures or words during the process.
Is it legal?
The most commonly asked question, and most misunderstood. The basic answer is Yes. We have two basic versions of our machines: the US model that allow the user to put in their own penny, for markets where the law allows; and the International model equipped with a coin hopper inside of it that delivers its own coin to the press when the user puts in their money. The law varies from country to country, but we have machines for both circumstances.
Why is there silver showing on the penny after it is elongated?
The silver you are seeing is zinc. Prior to 1982 the pennies made by the US mint had about 95% copper content, but since the value of copper has risen it didn’t make sense to make almost pure copper pennies anymore. Nowadays the copper content is only about 5%, with zinc making up the most of the remaining 95%. The elongation process reveals the hidden zinc underneath the copper surface. Some collectors like shadowy effect of the zinc, some don’t.
Why does the penny tarnish?
The metal is oxidizing. Almost any metal will oxidize (tarnish). Depending on the environment, copper will oxidize to a dull brown, or a greenish color. This is what you will get with a pre-1982 penny. The new pennies with the high zinc content can oxidize somewhat differently. Zinc oxidizes quicker then copper, and turns almost to a black color.
How can I clean elongated pennies?
There are almost as many ways of cleaning elongates as there are collectors. Your best bet is to clean your penny before pressing it, especially if there are deposits on it, as these can get pressed into the material and are difficult to get out afterwards. Any metal polish will usually clean up a tarnished elongate.
Why are some elongated pennies off center or too long/short?
Its all about compromise (how many times have you heard that before…….?). Because of the variety of pennies and penny conditions that a machine will see it has to be adjusted to take all of the variables into account. Any machine shouldn’t be off very much in the narrow direction of the elongate, but the length of the tail or the overall length of the elongate can vary quite a bit. The starting end will always be right on because that’s where the machine grabs the penny, but the tail end will vary according to the vintage of the penny and its composition, and even from penny to penny within the same year due to variances in the volume of material in the penny.
Do you sell machines?
We sell our machines across the world.
Do you have a Revenue Share program?
We place machines on a revenue sharing basis at sites that meet our traffic flow requirements, and that are within reach of our service network.
