Copper cent supply dwindling?

[Wheathead Saver]

Curious if any of the long-time hoarders are seeing a reduction in the amount of copper cents they retrieve. I have noticed once in a while I will get a box that contains less copper than average....say 15% less. I would imagine in the not too distant future, we will all be seeing less copper. Really hard for me to tell, but I will continue to track my copper percentages and analyze over say a 3 or 6 month period. Later in the year I will be able to compare current time frames to the prior year and this will be interesting. I began keeping my numbers last fall.

This is for another discussion though --
Looking out several years later, I invision where these copper cents will be like silver and trade for closer to their melt value. I realize this is dependent upon alot of factors (copper prices, supply, demand, economics, and the continued growth in the developing countries, melt ban being lifted, etc.).

Happy Hoarding to all!!!!!!!!

[68Camaro]

6 months ago, after just joining, I did some math and suggested that the copper supply would noticably shrink over the next 18-24 months and get increasingly more difficult to obtain. I was roundly trashed by people that didn't want to believe it.

[Country]

My COPPER percentage has been very constant around 24%. I have seen fluctuations within the boxes I get: some as low as 19%, some as high as 30%. It sort of ebbs and flows, week to week. But, I have not seen a noticeable drop in COPPER in my area during the past 18 months.

[68Camaro]

I've been so focused on silver for the past 3 months that I stopped sorting, personally. So I can't say for sure. I will start back up again at some point, and then it will be interesting to compare. I will say that I just spent 6 days on the Florida SE coast, and did not pick up a single copper penny in change. Not a one. That would be unheard of for me up here. So I can't say if that is a regional thing, bad luck, I found myself in the provence of a heavy sorter, or something else.

[Tourney64]

All new boxes around here in Indy including change from retailers. Only getting CWR for now.

[fasteddy]

last 6 months my percentage has gone up 3%.

[fb101]

6 months ago, after just joining, I did some math and suggested that the copper supply would noticably shrink over the next 18-24 months and get increasingly more difficult to obtain. I was roundly trashed by people that didn't want to believe it.

I missed that, can I roundly trash you now instead?

[pennypicker]

With the influx of new 2011 cents flooding the market it seems logical that our copper percentages can only go one way---down

[68Camaro]

6 months ago, after just joining, I did some math and suggested that the copper supply would noticably shrink over the next 18-24 months and get increasingly more difficult to obtain. I was roundly trashed by people that didn't want to believe it.

I missed that, can I roundly trash you now instead?

Ha! Sure, pile on...

[gojomoso]

it might be dwindling slowly, but theres got to be only a few thousand sorters out there (maybe), some have sorted thousands of dollars worth, but theres billions of pennies.
Currently i havn't had issues with percentage. A steady 32%

[Sheikh_yer_Bu'Tay]

6 months ago, after just joining, I did some math and suggested that the copper supply would noticably shrink over the next 18-24 months and get increasingly more difficult to obtain. I was roundly trashed by people that didn't want to believe it.

I ran a thread some months ago saying brass cents would not grow in price until there was a rush to pull them from circulation. Once they became scarce after the rush, the price will skyrocket. I expected five years for that to happen. Now, some of the guys who disagreed with me then say the same thing now.

I ran 33% two/three years ago. Now, more like 15% in sorting.

[Chief]

Over the past 6 months, I have been able to hold on to a 30+% copper rate. Sounds amazing compared to some of the percentages I've seen on this board. Also, haven't seen a lot of 2011's in circulation, but plenty of boxes of them at banks. New boxes are actually the best way to amass more coppers, You buy $25 boxes of uncirculated pennies, sell them on ebay for $37+ after fees, buy from a good copper seller at 1.5x shipped and you have copper pennies at face value w/o having to open rolls.

[Number21]

Doesn't seem to really change for me. I still get lots of them in change and was just noticing a $25 box had more copper than usual. I don't think I've ever seen a bag or box below 20%.

[fb101]

The bags I've been getting lately run 30-40%.

[SGT_Slaughter]

30-40% would be unreal.

I felt quite lucky to get 20.8% last week as the prior week i got ONE percent out of 20 dollars!

[sparechange]

The 2011's are definately on the way. Have had several dirty boxes here lately with 0-2 coppers in each roll. Really makes the overall % take a dip. My % has gone from 20-22% to about 18% lately(I live in a midsize[60,000+) community so I am probably seeing same coins over and over). The bright side is that I was able to rescue the couple of coppers in each roll of the dirty boxes of 2011's.

[shinnosuke]

sparechange, I live in San Antonio and average around 12% from the boxes I buy. So consider yourself lucky. Can't find a bank that will sell me bags.

[Number21]

I'm still waiting to find my first 2011.....

[gojomoso]

I'm still waiting to find my first 2011.....

same...

[Copper]

In Ontario the percentange is consistant at 40-50% sometimes hopping to 60%, But when I buy in the larger cities Kitchener or London, the percentage usually drops to 30%

[68Camaro]

In Ontario the percentange is consistant at 40-50% sometimes hopping to 60%, But when I buy in the larger cities Kitchener or London, the percentage usually drops to 30%

Dang, those are crazy numbers....

[pennypicker]

I'm still waiting to find my first 2011.....

I'm coming across so many 2011's in my string rolls that its getting frustrating to say the least. More 2011's are showing up and displacing the coppers.

[henrysmedford]

In Ontario the percentange is consistant at 40-50% sometimes hopping to 60%, But when I buy in the larger cities Kitchener or London, the percentage usually drops to 30%

Dang, those are crazy numbers....

I think it might have to do with that Canada went to non copper in 1997 so they have 15 more years out there than we do of copper also at 98% it is a nicer find. I get 60%+ Canadian copper of the ones that make to Oregon about 25-40 per $50 sorted. See--http://www.realcent.org/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=5015&hilit=+canada Also in July a salesman that calls on my work is bring us a $100 on Canadian cents to sort!

[John_doe]

Curious if any of the long-time hoarders are seeing a reduction in the amount of copper cents they retrieve. I have noticed once in a while I will get a box that contains less copper than average....say 15% less. I would imagine in the not too distant future, we will all be seeing less copper. Really hard for me to tell, but I will continue to track my copper percentages and analyze over say a 3 or 6 month period. Later in the year I will be able to compare current time frames to the prior year and this will be interesting. I began keeping my numbers last fall.

This is for another discussion though --
Looking out several years later, I invision where these copper cents will be like silver and trade for closer to their melt value. I realize this is dependent upon alot of factors (copper prices, supply, demand, economics, and the continued growth in the developing countries, melt ban being lifted, etc.).

Happy Hoarding to all!!!!!!!!

I think the price will jump, once the cc becomes more scarce.

[John_doe]

Any of you old school penny pickets got an appx calculation of when the supply will be done?

I've seen a significant change in the 2-2 1/2 years I've been sorting.