In 1971 decimal copper coins were made of copper, when did this stop?
1p and 2p coins changed to a copper alloy (much cheaper) in 1992. Extract from: Decimal Coins of the UK by Tony Clayton In 1992 the metal used for the one penny and two penny coins was changed from bronze to copper coated steel. The use of pure copper meant that the colour of mint coins is slightly different. Also, as the density of steel is less than bronze and the weight was unchanged, the newer coins are noticeably thicker than the older ones. and this extract from the British Royal Mint: Composition: Bronze 97% copper, 2.5% zinc, 0.5% tin (until September 1992) Copper-plated steel (since September 1992) Hope this helps.
