. Intense opposition by the vending machine industry caused Congress to change its mind. Copper cents will generally have a red, reddish-brown, or brown to darkish-brown color to it&x27;s surface, depending on the coin&x27;s condition, while aluminum cents are genera. In 1973, the price of copper rose to a point where the metallic value of the cent was almost equal to its face value. But the upside of that is that Eisenhower dollars are much more affordable than their 90 silver predecessors. PROOF SET ERRORS (what to look for). . Most 5 cent dates from 1968 and newer have no collectable value unless in very high quality (generally MS-63 or higher. . Explore.