When talking about C5 and metal purification, a student asked the question: if copper is so expensive, why do we make our lowest value coins from this metal?
The short answer is: we don't. 1p and 2p coins used to be about 97% copper, but as the metal became more expensive, the Royal Mint (the organisation that make the money we use) changed the materials they use to make these coins. Any coppers made after 1992 will be made from copper-plated steel (although in 1998 they did make some 2p coins from the 97% copper blend).
Steel is made with iron, and because iron is magnetic, the new coins should be attracted to a magnet, whereas the old coins will not.
So there you go.
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