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I reckon the goverment (UK) have done it in the past, and as in the USA melting current pennies is illegal, but has anyone you know of tried, is it practical? I can't see anyone getting in big trouble
over it to be honest. It could be 25 years plus before any melt ban either side of the pond gets scrapped so waiting for this isn't practical either. I've been doing some low key sorting for a while, but I need a strategy, otherwise I'll just be sat here in 20 years with some cash that's lost value (inflation) and still can't be realised for it's true value

Couple of thoughts,

A. I do not think anyone would admit to doing something illegal on the internet, not here in this group anyway. Members here are a little smarter than that.
2. The USA will lift ban when the do away with the penny and that will be a lot sooner than 20 years.
D. You can sell your sorted pennies for a profit without melting them. 90% silver sells everyday for silver value without being melted.

The main thing suppressing the price of copper pennies in the USA is that they are still available in circulation. Once they become scarce the price will rise.

I agree VW.

Well said.

Yes, there are 2 major accounts of people/groups melting pennies before the melt ban. Jackson Metals based out of Ohio was sorting and melting copper pennies by the truckload. There was also a guy located N of Denver that was melting pennies on a larger scale. From what I am told the guy in Denver is one of the main reasons the melt ban came on. These 2 cases were PRE melt ban!!!

Also you can get in a lot of trouble melting copper pennies. A $10,000 fine and up to 5 years in jail!

In the US, the melt ban is a temporary measure and only applies to pennies and nickels. In Canada, and I suspect in the UK as well, melting or destroying coins is illegal except for special circumstances (e.g. a special license to melt silver coins). So the American ban can be expected to be lifted eventually, but that might be a lot less likely in Canada or the UK. On the other hand coins don't have to be melted to sell them for more than the face value, it just takes a willing buyer. And unlike the US ban, there is nothing stopping you from exporting coins from Canada which again may well be true in the UK. Shipping to someone who has told you they intend to melt the coins might not be smart though.

I tried to, long ago. Believe me, a butane torch don't make it. And don't touch the thing until after it's cooled.

I hear what you are all saying, however I know of noone on eBay or otherwise that is buying/selling copper British pennies. There does seem to be a market for pennies in the USA but not here as far as I know.

VWBEAMER wrote:Couple of thoughts,

A. I do not think anyone would admit to doing something illegal on the internet, not here in this group anyway. Members here are a little smarter than that.
2. The USA will lift ban when the do away with the penny and that will be a lot sooner than 20 years.
D. You can sell your sorted pennies for a profit without melting them. 90% silver sells everyday for silver value without being melted.

The main thing suppressing the price of copper pennies in the USA is that they are still available in circulation. Once they become scarce the price will rise.

Very well said. Time is on the side of the cu penny hoarder.

I know a guy who melts pennies.

I sold him a bunch of CU Pennies prior to actually knowing the melted them.

Got a call from the SS about 6 days later..

I melted some pennies just this week.

We were doing a small remodel on this really old house and some of the electrical circuts had burned out fuses. These are the older style that are round and screw into the fuse socket. I didn't have any of those old fuses, but I noticed that a copper penny was just the right size to fit in there.

Well, I wedged into each empty socket a copper penny and then threw the switch. ZZZZZZZZZZZSSSTT!!! Yup, it melted those pennies alright!

Sheikh_yer_Bu'Tay wrote: ZZZZZZZZZZZSSSTT!!! Yup, it melted those pennies alright!

Here come the feds!

Somnophore wrote:I hear what you are all saying, however I know of noone on eBay or otherwise that is buying/selling copper British pennies. There does seem to be a market for pennies in the USA but not here as far as I know.

Ship those British copper pennies to me, I have a market for them

LOL, he is ok. You can melt small amounts for scientific, novelty or experimental reason. I'm sure that falls under one of those.

Mossy wrote:

Sheikh_yer_Bu'Tay wrote: ZZZZZZZZZZZSSSTT!!! Yup, it melted those pennies alright!

Here come the feds!

Somnophore wrote:I hear what you are all saying, however I know of noone on eBay or otherwise that is buying/selling copper British pennies. There does seem to be a market for pennies in the USA but not here as far as I know.

There was no ebay market for US Cu pennies until members here developed it. Make the market.