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How high do you think the copper value per penny would have to be before copper pennys are pretty much puled from circulation?
Even if its illegal to melt them do you think if the copper value hits 5 cents per coin you will still see them circulating?

I think thats what most agree on $.05 would really wake up.

I think when they hit 3X face they will start being pulled from circulation in earnest...3X seems to be the magic number for greater public awareness. That would put Cu at $4.60 lb...about a dollar above current price.
As long as the Cu price stays below $4.60 I think you will see a more gradual decline in ciculating copper pennies of perhaps 3 to 10% per year with that % increasing as the price of Cu increases toward that $4.60/lb. When/If the Melt Ban is lifted then they will disappear very quickly.

I know I would personally increase my search volume if copper were at 3x face...even more at 5x.

I'm currently getting between 25% and 30% copper in my searches...it will be a little sad to watch that number decline steadily in the coming years.

Sanford02 wrote:it will be a little sad to watch that number decline steadily in the coming years.

I don't even want to think about it

Sanford02 wrote:I know I would personally increase my search volume if copper were at 3x face...even more at 5x.

I'm currently getting between 25% and 30% copper in my searches...it will be a little sad to watch that number decline steadily in the coming years.

That's a good percentage.

I believe the copper percentage is lower than yours in most other locations. I'm only getting around 21% here in Virginia. When you get a little more competition, I will bet that your percentage will fall too.

Sanford02 wrote:I know I would personally increase my search volume if copper were at 3x face...even more at 5x.

I'm currently getting between 25% and 30% copper in my searches...it will be a little sad to watch that number decline steadily in the coming years.

With %s like that, I would stock up on as many boxes as you can afford as your percents are bound to drop off as more searchers come on board. In AZ - Phoenix area, I was averaging 20-24% about 18 months ago...the past 12 months, my % has been running between 15 and 19%. This past week I had a 14.4 % search on some Brinks (plastic) rolls which was my lowest % yet. I have had some nice high %s on CWRs (customer wrapped rolls) and that is where you can hit a Home Run or Strike out if you get someone elses dump. I like to mix it up with getting some of each.

Most people today have no concept of sorting coins, storing them even short-term, let alone hoarding them. Furthermore, many people's eyesight precludes them from sorting copper from zinc pennies. Finally, we are increasingly a bankcard/Visa society.

I could be wrong, but it would take a value of 10X face value before the general public would start bothering to sort copper from zinc pennies. But dare I say that such a collapse of the dollar would see a new currency in such a scenario; the current coinage would be exchanged for new funny money. So NOW is the time to sort, pull out and hoard! Copper will always be copper.

I am in SE Wisconsin. I wonder if there are any other searchers nearby? Does anyone know where all the big mechanized operations are? I bet they have an impact on local percentages....or maybe not, I don't konw how the supply chain works.

aristobolus wrote:Most people today have no concept of sorting coins, storing them even short-term, let alone hoarding them.

So NOW is the time to sort, pull out and hoard! Copper will always be copper.

Slow and steady wins the race.

I was 9 months new to Realcent when that last 2010 post was made. Total noob. Hoard and Ardent were around then and role models. It's a great community. I'd love to see copper value jump significantly again. The place would be hopping with character and personality as it was. But, back then The Great Recession was still roaring and people were still worrying about having a job at the end of the week. Tough times bring like minded people together.

Were copper to reach 5X face, I'd be buying a crucible. At 10X face, I'd be using the crucible and pouring bars. Maybe play with the Cu, Sn, Zn percentages for Gun Metal.

Sanford02 wrote:Does anyone know where all the big mechanized operations are?

There is a really big one in Portland, OR and he is very active on this site. Another one, hcbtt (Hoard Copper By the Ton) used to be on this site but passed away about 1 1/2 years ago- he was in the San Francisco Bay Area. Not sure where the others are, except I think there is a big one in Charlotte, NC.

Hard to say at what price copper would be heavily hoarded again. One major issue is that it takes a lot more space and time than many are willing to devote. The easy money isn't made very often on copper (or pretty much anything else for that matter). I think it would take the media giving the matter a lot of attention like they did when copper thieves were in the news a lot. Also, if the government were to eliminate the cent that could cause some hoarding.