A look at $1.69 in 24 coins.

How many different arrangements of coins can you make of $1.69 in 24 coins?
... I have no idea, but I can think of one way:
4 quarters
5 dimes
1 nickel
14 pennies

Year - Type - Mint Mark ( _ is blank) - Rating
My Blunt Rating System: (BRS!)
VF - Very Fine
F - Fine
G - Good
W - Worn
VW - Very Worn
BWFV - Barely Worth Face Value (yeah...)

The Four Quarters:
2000 - Maryland - D - VF
1998 - Washington - D - F
1994 - Washington - P - G
1990 - Washington - D - F

The Five Dimes:
2005 - Roosevelt - D - VF
1993 - Roosevelt - D - F
1992 - Roosevelt - P - G
1990 - Roosevelt - P - F
1975 - Roosevelt - D - VF

The One Nickel:
1975 - Jefferson - D - W

The Fourteen Pennies:
2008 - Lincoln Memorial - _ - VF
2005 - Lincoln Memorial - _ - W
2002 - Lincoln Memorial - D - W
2000 - Lincoln Memorial - D - G
1996 - Lincoln Memorial - _ - VW
1995 - Lincoln Memorial - _ - G
1994 - Lincoln Memorial - D - F
1989 - Lincoln Memorial - _ - W
1988 - Lincoln Memorial - D - G
1985 - Lincoln Memorial - _ - G
1982 - Lincoln Memorial (still not above 2.5% copper, just yet...) - _ - VW
1981 - Lincoln Memorial brass blend (95% copper, 5% zinc) - _ - G
1973 - Lincoln Memorial brass blend (95% copper, 5% zinc) - D - F
1966 - Lincoln Memorial brass blend (95% copper, 5% zinc) - _ - VW

And to tell if a penny is mostly copper rather than just copper plated (97.5% zinc core, 2.5% copper plating) you can just flick it into the air with your thumb. If it is mostly copper it rings where as the newer pennies do not. Wikipdeia claims that the ringing you hear is about 12 kHz, but they need a citation. I tried this myself. It's true the 2008 and the 1982 pennies do not ring, they are zinc. The 1981 and older ones ring. Sadly, I do not know the frequency of the ring.

Also, don't eat the new pennies as they are mostly zinc. Zinc is poisonous in large amounts. Therefore pennies after 1982 are the not safe for you or your pets to eat. If you do that sort of thing...

By the way, if you think I have too much time on my hands let me tell you this: it took me longer to set up the blog than it did to write this.