Hello, I'm an expert in the field of currency and its various forms, including the penny, which is a fascinating topic when it comes to its face value and intrinsic metal value. Let's delve into the question of how much money 1 million pennies are worth, both in terms of their face value and the value of the base metal they are made of.

Step 1: English Answer

The face value of a single penny is $0.01. Therefore, if you have 1 million pennies, you're looking at a face value of:

\[1,000,000 \times 0.01 = \$10,000\]

This is the amount you would receive if you were to deposit or exchange these pennies at a financial institution.

However, the question also alludes to the worth of the base metal in the pennies. Since 1983, U.S. pennies have been composed primarily of zinc with a small amount of copper. The specific composition is 97.5% zinc and 2.5% copper. To calculate the metal value, we first need to determine the total weight of 1 million pennies.

Assuming each penny weighs 2.5 grams, the total weight of 1 million pennies would be:

\[1,000,000 \times 2.5 \text{ grams} = 2,500,000 \text{ grams}\]

To convert this to pounds, we use the conversion factor where 1 pound is approximately 453.592 grams:

\[2,500,000 \text{ grams} \div 453.592 \text{ grams/pound} = 5511.56 \text{ pounds}\]

Now, to find the value of the metal, we would need to know the current market prices for zinc and copper. The prices fluctuate daily based on the commodities market, so it's important to check the current prices. Let's assume hypothetical market prices for the sake of this calculation:

- Zinc is priced at $1.00 per pound.
- Copper is priced at $3.00 per pound.

Given that each penny is 97.5% zinc and 2.5% copper, we can calculate the metal value of a single penny:

- Zinc value: \(2.5 \text{ grams} \times 0.975 \times \frac{\$1.00}{453.592 \text{ grams}}\)
- Copper value: \(2.5 \text{ grams} \times 0.025 \times \frac{\$3.00}{453.592 \text{ grams}}\)

Adding these two values together gives us the metal value of one penny, which we then multiply by 1 million to get the total metal value for 1 million pennies.

It's important to note that while this calculation gives us an estimate, the actual value of the metal in pennies can be significantly less than the face value due to the costs associated with refining and processing the metals. Additionally, melting down pennies to extract the metal is illegal in the United States without proper authorization, as it constitutes the destruction of legal tender.

Step 2: Divider

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The face value is, of course, $10,000 ... but what is the worth of the base metal, right? Assuming they are all newer (1983-) pennies, they would be composed of 97.5% zinc and 2.5% copper and weigh 2.5 grams each. One million pennies => 1,000,000 * 2.5 grams = 2,500,000 grams OR 5511.56 lbs.read more >>