Copper bullion. Does it make sense?

It may become the thing that people use for barter, since the denominations are not too high. Here's a place that sells copper rounds and bars. I think I would rather get the rounds, because they are an ounce and the value would be easy to figure out. They take up a lot more space than silver, but they might make sense again in the near future. I imagine bartering at the farmer's market with a big copper round for a bunch of carrots or something.

http://www.copperheadbullion.com/

 

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None

 

Ditto. You would need tons.

 

No. It's pretty close to a scam so that copper can be sold for a premium price.

 

95% cents are cheaper, you can buy them for face value at banks.

 

Disagree, fine for bartering. I'm sure someones bound to want one of these. Dont try to stack these, it's a losing proposition.

 

I've examined this copper phenomenon for a while. Some things to consider is that the copper for those 1-oz rounds will typically cost 4 to 6 times more money than the actual metal is worth. So if you tried to have it melted down, you'd take a big loss. A 1 oz copper round is worth about $0.25 but you will never be able to buy them for that. The cheapest I've found is $0.88 a piece when bought 800 rounds at a time in bulk.

However - as long as the market conditions that allow this premium are to continue and you are reselling to another person (sucker) then you should be able to get your money back and possibly a profit. However, it the market conditions fail then you will end up with melt value.

If you want to buy copper, the best bet are to buy bars. And get the largest bars you can. I've bought a few of them. If you get bars that weight a pound, kilo, or more then the premium is only about double the melt value. Still a loosing proposition if you ever have to sell it for melt, though.

I would also agree if we end up in a barter situation the 1-oz rounds could be useful. But I wouldn't buy a whole lot of them. I only have 2 tubes of them, a total of 40 rounds plus a few bars. I have about $100 total in copper.

 

First of all, there is no barter anymore and it is unlikely to return. Second of all, in the unlikely event you are correct and barter returns, why not buy cheaper forms of copper so you get more ounces/pounds for your money? It just doesn't make sense to pay a premium for something so common.

 

It really is somewhat of a scam, but people buy them. More power to the people selling them for profit, but in my opinion they are a bad investment. One way I believe is a smart way to invest in copper is by buying bulk lots of wheat pennies. If copper prices bomb, the wheats may still have a collectors value and they are very affordable to invest in. Plus one may find a key dates as well if buying form the right person.

 

I save the copper cents I receive in change. I don't ever expect to make a significant profit from it, but I just can't bring myself to spend them.

 

Funny I do the same thing.

 

One way I've heard of people "investing" in copper, is by stocking up on electrical wiring and copper pipe when they believe copper is at a low. Unlike many of the other forms of copper, wiring and plumbing is already in a useful form.

I'm not sure if a roll of Romex or an 8' section of 1"copper pipe is going to be in demand during an economic collapse, but I'm not sure a 1 ounce copper round will be either...

 

Another coin-grift, sadly. Similar to Norfeds.

 

I've seen the TV coin guys throwing in a bunch of those copper rounds with their bags of "unsearched" wheat cents.

 

Yeah, if the economy fails to the point where bartering makes a come back, you'd be better off investing in cans of soup.

Or, if you want to stick to copper, copper pipe. I'm sure somebody somewhere will need materials for a "still".

 

Or, just make the still yourself. Then decide what you'll accept in barter for your priceless hooch.

 

It would make sense if the price of an ounce was around 25 cents. I think I'll start collecting any copper coins I see in the foreign coins bin for their value. An old English penny at 12.5 cents must be close to the copper value.

 

100% agree!:thumb:

I do keep pre-1982 Pennies

 

I buy copper rounds, but that's because I like the designs on them. As for an investment, I don't recommend it.

 

For collecting there never is a justification needed.

I agree with others, as a metal investment copper rounds just way too pricey. Better to stock up on copper products people would need, like wiring. I used to say copper pipe as well, but with that new plastic stuff I don't know if copper pipes will be needed.