What To Do With Copper?

S

Silver Pauper

Member
Good day,

In the past few weeks, I have accumulated nearly 3kgs of copper... 1/2 pennies, pennies, one and two cent... seems that copper is coming out of the woodwork with family and old friends dumping bags of copper on my desk, saying it is worthless and it good to be rid of it.

There is nothing of real value that I can find just doing a quick sort, not that I know much about Australian copper, I am sure there are some odd and ends that will be worth a few dollars, but I cannot really be bothered at the moment.

So what do i do with it?

Take it to my local coin shop and sell for scrap or whatever price they will give me?
Stash it away and keep for the grandkids(that will be a few decades away... hopefully)?
Melt it down and make stuff out of it as I have access to a furnace and forge?

And if keeping is the best option, what are my storage options? It seems that the bank only use plastic bags these day, which I hate as they floppy and untidy, hard to stack and keep organised, so are paper rolls still available and a logical option?

At the moment, I just have bags lying around the office. I suppose and old keg or bottle would be cool.

Let me know what you think,
 
It is all your fault! I got that jar from you and since bringing it home and letting the kids rummage through it, now the grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends are dumping their old copper on me!

@Jislizard,

Thanks, but I was being serious and looking for some practical advice! :p

So if I want to put the copper up for sale here on the forum, should I just thoroughly mix it all up and then sell it by the kilo... say by auction?

Would it be better to sort out the different coins into lots... 1/2 penny, penny, 1 cent, etc

Just trying to make it abit easier for the buyers.

The kids have taken everything they want out, so would be looking to turn into a bit of silver that all.

Thanks!
 
Hey! So was I, but with 3 kg I would think more of a coffee table... :)

I am currently collecting 1 and 2 cents to make one of my own but I should really just concentrate on one denomination.

List them up here and they will go in no time, I would just sell them by weight and denomination. I wouldn't bother splitting them into smaller lots, just sell all the 1 cents by weight etc.

I would be interested for sure.
 
Jislizard said:
Hey! So was I, but with 3 kg I would think more of a coffee table... :)

I am currently collecting 1 and 2 cents to make one of my own but I should really just concentrate on one denomination.

List them up here and they will go in no time, I would just sell them by weight and denomination. I wouldn't bother splitting them into smaller lots, just sell all the 1 cents by weight etc.

I would be interested for sure.
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+1
but where are you located as postage is a killer
 
@Jislizard,

So you were being serious!

If I could find paper rolls, I would probably just roll them, toss them in the back of the safe for the grandkids.

But if I have to keep them in bags, they are out the door.

Thanks,
 
Silver Pauper said:
@Jislizard,

So you were being serious!

If I could find paper rolls, I would probably just roll them, toss them in the back of the safe for the grandkids.

But if I have to keep them in bags, they are out the door.

Thanks,
Click to expand...

I have a lot of 'projects' where I buy all the supplies, work out all the problems but never get around to completing. I don't even need a coffee table but I have bags of copper coins ready to glue to one!

I might just go with coasters instead, sounds like a lot less work!

You can download US paper rolls, well you download the images, print them onto paper and cut the paper out. However with a variety of different sizes that might not work.

I got some coin tubes from Maggie, they are square on the outside and round on the inside, they are made for US coins and probably cost more than the face value of the coins you are trying to store.
 
@serial,

I am located in Sydney.

@Greg Williams,

That is clever idea! I have to think about that as there are some of the old coins from the 1800's that are barely legible and nearly smooth. Hand-poured copper bars.

Thanks to everyone for the advice both here and through PM's... much appreciated!
 
I have some slouch hats pressed from pennies, nice key rings

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You could always make it rain money :p
Ie take them to the top of a large building and throw them off by the hand full :)
 
But making poured bars would probably be the beat way to make money out of it, then use said money to but silver.. or keep them for the grandkids.. In a few decades copper could be the silver of today.. if you have the room..
Also rolling coins all you need is paper and roll them up.. takes a feq times doing it to get it smooth... the little coins tend to want to do everything but get rolled up. Key is to fold the ends in before you start rolling.
 
shinymetal said:
But making poured bars would probably be the beat way to make money out of it, then use said money to but silver.. or keep them for the grandkids.. In a few decades copper could be the silver of today.. if you have the room..
Also rolling coins all you need is paper and roll them up.. takes a feq times doing it to get it smooth... the little coins tend to want to do everything but get rolled up. Key is to fold the ends in before you start rolling.
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Only problems I have with making poured bars is that there is a cost associated and a limited market for poured copper bars.

Chucking them in a shoe box or old margarine tub or jam jar costs you nothing. Melting would need some heat source, a mold and time.

A jam jar full of coins might have some interest from collectors wanting to put together sets or looking for a rare variety or just wanting to upgrade a few coins. Not sure who would want a poured copper bar.

but...

poured copper bars might be an untapped market, I wouldn't mind one. Copper rounds are about $4 each for an ounce, all the cost is in the mintnig process and distribution. A poured bar could be sold at a comparatively reasonable price. Pour it into imaginitive shapes using the lost wax process and you can step beyond the usual poured offerings. I keep thinking I am going to do this with my 50% pre dec but I haven't yet, another project.
 
shinymetal said:
You could always make it rain money :p
Ie take them to the top of a large building and throw them off by the hand full :)
Click to expand...

And kill someone in the meantime
 
aussiesilver said:
shinymetal said:
You could always make it rain money :p
Ie take them to the top of a large building and throw them off by the hand full :)
Click to expand...

And kill someone in the meantime
Click to expand...

Apparently not, according to the internet. I guess if it could happen or has happenned the news would be all over it.

I suppose if you looked up with your mouth open it could get stuck in your throat and choke you to death.
 
And you are not even showing remorse for being the agent responsible for the mess I in!

Were there ever or are there still Australian paper rolls available?

@Jislizard,

I do not need another project to haunt me, so looking for a simple and efficient solution, but making it copper just seems to be a waste of a good resource.

So maybe a few a sets to sell on eBay, a few rolls for the grandkids, sell a kg or two on the forum, and make a few bars... could do all these as I am now at 5kgs and counting... it is raining copper here at the moment.
 
how about buying those ex military metal/wood ammo box, and fill them up and just stored it like that? they are pretty sturdy and solid...even buried it under the whipping cherry tree?
 
Just scored about 4kg in copper electrical wire from work about a week ago. Been slowly stripping off the plastic with a stanley knife and a pair of wire strippers. It's been slow going, but it's quite relaxing to sit out back with a cold one and work my way through it all.
 
I have 45 kilos of un-stripped wire there is a good company in Melbourne that buys wire for great prices
 
ivan said:
I have 45 kilos of un-stripped wire there is a good company in Melbourne that buys wire for great prices
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If you have an ABN
Sims metal
The smaller recyclers will only pay about 60% as they sell it on to sims
 
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