Copper, Tin, Titanium, & Nickel Bullion

I'm currious what the cummunity thinks about this stuff. I've been considering the addition of small amounts of these items to my stash. I realize the disconnect between paper contract (spot) cost and bullion premiums are vast. However, I do feel comfortable with a moderate amount of speculation considering it was actually mined and assayed to be pure and trust THAT vs. fiat in the event of a barter situation. Thoughts?

 

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Not a fan of any of them to hold personally. They are not precious metals, are used in industrial quantites, and any small amounts you would buy would be at a horrendous premium. For non precious metals, I consider buying stock in firms that mine the metal a better investment than physically holding the metal especially due to the sky high premiums, as well as bulkiness factor versus value.

If you wish to invest in metals, PM and their small premiums is the only avenue I would advise. If you wish to invest in metals that have more industrial application than jewelry and investment, I would suggest platinum and palladium.

 

Ditto to what medorman said. The other items really mean nothing as collectibles for investment. If you want to go that route, then look at buying stock in them rather than paying premiums to some guy flogging these as "investments" with potential.

 

Thanks Medoraman, hadn't really considered the mining stock alternative. I'll do some research. I'm pretty much a physical ownership type....but it needs to make sense. I realize owning these bars and rounds is uter speculation. Bulkiness is something else I hadn't thought of.

 

If you really want to invest in the above in small amounts and hold in case of fiat collapse the US Nickel is your best bet. It is 75% copper and 25% nickel and manufactured to strict tolerances.

 

Well. Don't do what I do. But since you asked about a topic that I happen to enjoy, read on.....

This is what I have done:
200 pounds plus of copper shot/wire chops (paid between 3 &4$ a pound)
200 pounds plus of one pound titanium bars (paid 25$ each)
$1000 face of real Jefferson nickels - bags and rolls
$200 face of Zinc and copper mixed rolls of Lincoln cents.
5 ounces of Rhodium (paid <1400 an oz).

Again, I am saying that I have been wise. So far it is early. I have no idea that it will work out well or not. The conscences is that I made a poor choice.

I consider the Rhodium, and titanium as speculation. I also have Forever stamps, and various single digit stamps on sealed rolls and pads.

I also hoard JFK clad halves. They are popular and slowly slipping out of ciruclation in my parts (the midwest).

Since you appear so open to diversification, don't forget about extra dry and canned food, and a water filter. Put guns, ammo, and training on the list too.

Have fun.

 

Mass Inflation Ahead -- Save Your Nickels!
http://www.survivalblog.com/nickels.html

 

To me, it's a complete and utter joke.

 

Maybe, but 1964 many had the same idea.

 

There's just a bit of a difference though. Last year alone, about 52 Billion ounces of nickel were mined. In the history of man, only about 45 billion of ounces have been mined. There is a much larger supply of nickel than silver, and I mean a MUCH bigger one. Just my thoughts though.

 

You make great points. The weakness in the USA is that it does not mine any Nickel any more. It is dependent on foreign Nickel.

 

Wow, we better watch out for the massive inflation set to start next year. Actually if it does, It won't be due to any change in currency, it will be due to the changes in supply/demand ratio, and I don't mean any type of metals, but instead food and water supply world around. Look at crop reports, not just from the US, but from China, Russia, Mexico , etc. How much corn do they grow in Norway or Iceland? Even though the scenario may look bad for the US, it will still supply the majority of the supply, and the USD will not weaken as commodities are based in USD, but will strengthen even more so, compared to the basket. If you have sufficient money, don't buy metals of any kind now, but find some land that has a good well or water rights and buy it instead. IMO.

 

I think land is about one of the best investments right now, and not just because of the post above, but near cities we are running out of room.

 

That is the same thinking the author james rawles above preaches. Land, water, etc... Metals are after all preps are done per rawles.

 

I baught a 1 oz copper coin with the same image as a ase on it for two bucks last week just because it looks like my ase. Which is another reason i like the walker halfs besides there dates because they look the same i know there is very little value in 1 oz of copper. Since its priced by the pound i baugjt it because i liled the way it looked

 

EisenHower Clads are going at a premium for Unicir, AU, Circ etc.
Even sorted out Lincoln cents from the early 1980's are more than doubling in value to pick up.

There is just something attractive to new collectors when it comes to a coin being removed from circulation. About the only coin that did not excite me was the Susan B. Yes. I liked the design, but the use of it was a pain and too often it slipped away as a quarter. My mom saves the Susan Bs. Dad likes the IKES, and I am a Wheat Ears gal. Dad's wife saves quarters-any.

 

Why save any of that stuff? Invest it in something with more liquid collector value. Take a circulated or au Ike to a coin dealer and you are lucky to get 1.25

 

If you look around and are patient you can sometimes get pure nickel coins by the pound for near spot. The same goes for copper shot.

They aren't precious metals, but they do go up and down with inflation and they do experience speculative spikes and dips just like gold and silver do.

 

To me, copper never really grabbed my interest. 1 reason is that looking on the charts, copper probably won't move anywhere in the next 50 years. It will probably surpass $5 or $6 / pound eventually but that's too small of a move for me, and too slow as well. The current high for copper was $4.50 back in 2011 I believe, and now it's been hanging around $3.00 / pound for a while.

Nickel actually has shown to make some pretty good moves on the charts, take for example it reaching $25.00 / pound about 6 years ago and now it's around $7.00. I got myself a decent collection of pre-euro coins made out of solid nickel (into the thousands of coins, and I love them!).

Here is my current collection of nickel coins.

France
----------------------

1/2 Franc x 4480 (20,250g)
1 Franc x 3150 (18,900g)
2 Francs x 1934 (14,540g)

Belgium
----------------------

50 Francs x 1000 (7,000g)

Netherlands (not much from this country but I'm working on it!)
----------------------

10 Cents x 143 (286g)
25 Cents x 204 (612g)
1 Gulden x 180 (1,080g)
2.5 Gulden x 27 (270g)
5 Gulden x 30 (280g)

I have 63,218g (63.2kg) of nickel. Most of this I got within the last few months.
These are really fun to collect too, so it's not just the bullion for me!

I do agree with one of the above comments that nickel bullion in the forms of bars, rounds, etc. is grossly overpriced. I won't get into that. Coins do it for me. I got many of these coins listed above for pretty much melt price.