so i was talking to a friend about this man who swallows a lot of pennies (out of control) and just recently had an x-ray to reveal how weighted his stomach actually was. i thought this was interesting and was reading about what can happen from the consuption of these little coins.

Researchers conducted a series of experiments in which they bathed pennies in a solution of stomach acid (hydrochloric acid). Pennies minted before 1982, which are 95 percent copper and 5 percent zinc, showed no erosion. However, those minted after 1982, which are nearly all zinc, with a thin copper plating, began eroding immediately. By the second day, they had holes in them. The researchers found the zinc in the coins reacted with the acid to form hydrogen gas and zinc chloride. The reaction, similar to the chemical process that occurs in car batteries, can erode the stomach lining, causing an ulcer. Other U.S. coins are made of non-corrosive metals, mainly nickel, and don't cause the problem.

huh, problem notified and can now be avoided. this man should indeed start a coin collection of pennies from before 1982.