Many of you might have discovered by accident that the wonderful world of Elongated coins has quite a following, no you are not alone.  Some important hard and fast rules in collecting is; collect what your interested in, don't pay more than your comfortable paying (chances are the same coin will pop up on auction again), know the difference between copper vs. zinc.

Copper vs. Zinc: in 1982 the United States Mint changed the Lincoln Cent from basically copper, to a zinc coin clad in copper.  In 1982 both varieties was minted.  If you look at the coins you've rolled the zincs will have silver streaks on them, these will turn black and corrode with age.  There are ways to protect them, but most collectors prefer what we call pre-82 coppers. 

Happy collecting, and welcome to the wonderful world of Elongated coins.