Kuparisinkki

Kuparisinkki is a Finnish term that literally means "copper penny" and refers to small-denomination coins that were minted primarily from copper or copper-containing alloys in Finland’s monetary history. The term is used in everyday language as well as by coin collectors to describe the lowest-value coins circulating in the era of the Finnish markka before the euro. While the exact denominations associated with the term varied over time, kuparisinkki generally denotes coins that were low in value and made largely of copper or copper alloys.

During the markka period, copper-based coins circulated alongside other metal denominations. With the introduction of the euro in 2002, Finland stopped issuing its own pennies as legal tender, and kuparisinkki coins ceased to circulate in daily use. Today, these coins are primarily of interest to numismatists and historians, with value and interest depending on mint year, variety, and condition. They are studied as part of Finland’s monetary history and metallurgical practices.

In contemporary usage, kuparisinkki remains a nostalgic reference to the era of copper pennies and to the broader history of Finnish coin design and metal usage. It is not an official denomination, but rather a linguistic and historical concept encountered in discussions of currency history, collections, and archival resources.