Why copper??

[Shane4371]

Copper crushes easier.is that better.

[copper]

Copper crushes easier.is that better.

we are eagerly awaiting further explanation

[Tor-King]

Copper crushes easier.is that better.

we are eagerly awaiting further explanation

Please see Pat's response to the original question (2nd post). I believe this answers it all...   

[Burns]

Thanks for bringing that up Red. That didn't even cross my mind, and I used to work for a private mint that competed globally, so my bad. We did away with manufacturing pennies in Canada in 2012.
From 1997 to that point they were like what you said, copper plated, but mostly steel with a bit of zinc. So un-Canadian.

They were composed of 98% copper, 1.75% tin, 0.25% zinc up to 1996, the last year of the FJ's, Coincidence?  

re copper washers, if someone would rather re-use one in a hurry instead of delaying in sourcing suitable washers, they work harden with use and can get brittle, but they can be softened by annealing, but that won't restore the original thickness that might be called for.

WWII war years pennies were made of steel - copper being a valued war material.  There was a milk carton vending machine at my Jr. High School ( '59 or so) that took 3 pennies for a pint; it had a magnet to catch washers and such that would clog with those steel pennies.  Funny how things bring back old memories like that.