Anyone Hoarding Copper?

I just went through about a coffee can size of US cents looking for modern errors and sorting out copper cents from the copper plate zinc cents.

I didn't find anything super special, but did find three wheaties, two cool looking Canadians and one 70 S large date which I kept as an example.

But what really was noticeable to me was that the amount of copper cents I found was only about 1/20 the amount of cents I checked. That suggest that the copper cents are being pulled out circulation and not just by me.

How many of ya'll are saving copper cents for the copper? What are you going to do with them once they amount to a hoard that you can hardly lift?

 

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any easy way to sort them out. I would hoard in a heart beat if it were easier.

 

I'm hoarding Canadian's, as the copper and other content is much higher in the older series (as is Silver and Nickel).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penny_%28Canadian_coin%29
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nickel_(Canadian_coin)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dime_%28Canadian_coin%29
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quarter_%28Canadian_coin%29

Oh, and the RCM is planning on mass-melting most of the older series to re-coup their funds due to the high boon in scrap metals.

 

I have to look at each coin with my 4X loop because my sight is poor. It took me hours, but I actually had fun, specially when I found some neat stuff. I also did not keep any 1982's. It is too much trouble figuring out, is it copper or copper plated zinc.

 

Who are the RCM???

 

Royal Canadian Mint? I assume...

 

Yup! I had a Coin World link about this but I can't find it.

 

Yup, a few months ago I went through the cents I've been throwing in a glass water bottle since 2001 and roll searched 10000 cents that I rolled from 1989 to 2000 (keep in mind that I'm not wealthy it's just been pocket change) all total between 30 and 40 thousand cents.
Looking for the usual errors and any other abnormalities

John

 

Not hoarding them, but I do look for wheaties, and varieties.

 

That's quite a bit of searching. Did you find any 83 DD rev, 84 double ears, wide AM's?

So John, are you keeping all the copper cents 1982 and older and if so what are your plans to dispose of them? The ones that have only a copper value over a cent.

 

I'm gathering (not hoarding) copper from any source. I pull coppers out of penny bags. You can tell 1982 zinkies from coppers by flipping the coin... copper rings true... zinc just goes thunk. I also purchase copper slugs or punchings from industrial manufacturers when I can get it for scrap price... as well as bar and sheet copper whenever I can get it for a decent price. By the way, I no longer store the pile of bars outside. The price of copper has gotten to where it might walk away.

Pre-'82 copper pennies make great blanks for overstriking. You just run them through a furnace at 1100 degrees f to anneal and then tumble them clean before striking.

 

Here's a Thought

Tom,

I'm an electro-machanical man myself and I really am impressed with your work. So much so that if I'm ever coming out you way I'll bring my hoard of copper cents and let you have them for free. Because in reality it would most likely cost more then it's worth for someone to give copper value for them because of the cost to extract the copper to reuse it. Keep up the good work and thanks for sharing your art.

 

I'm keeping all the 1970 and older. The 1971 to present I am just spending because I have not yet heard they are worth saving. Who's going to buy them?

 

That's really what I was trying to find out. What can you do with them if you don't have the resources to recycle the copper yourself. Who would buy them? I know I'm not going to let any that come my way go back into circulation so the Fed can recoop their losses.

 

i keep any 1968 and older cents i find. i do have alot of pre 1982 in a bucket. i don't know weather to spend them or keep them. i am prbaly going to spend the 1969-1982 though.

 

I have an oil drum in the garge that I toss my copper cents into every time the bucket in the house fills up. I'll need a second drum around June.

 

I'm not going to name names or make accusations but for all of those who are hoarding copper pennies with the intent of eventually having them melted can just knock it off or face serious new legal consequences such as five years in jail without parole and a fine of up to $10,000. This is not a joke.
http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D8M0E1A01.htm

 

I hoard copper myself, but i have no intention of melting them down. It's not against the law to hoard. Who knows what the future will bring, so all my '59-82 copper pennies go into rolls and get saved.

 

I've been keeping all of the copper cents I run across since the price of copper rose. This isn't because of any particular belief that this is going to be really profitable. I just can't bring myself to spend them knowing they are worth more than 1 cent. But at least I haven't started going to the bank to actively begin assembling a large hoard.

 

That did it ..I'm going straight fellas. No more hoarding copper for me. I don't want the revenuers rumaging through my garage. They might find the still ....lol. Seriously though, I think I'll start "collecting" nickel instead of those copper cents :goofer:

If you want to talk intent ...my "alleged" intent is to get some of those tamper proof bank bags and shovel about $20.00 worth of wheaties into them and sell them on ebay for $60.00 as unsearched finds. Yeeeeee HAW ! Momma needs a new pair of shoes !