copper prices comparable to current silver prices?

[lance]

Think it will ever happen? Im hoping someday...when im not too old...lol...that my coppers will be like having silver dimes in todays market. Thoughts?

[Bullion Buzzard]

I'd be happy if Cu hit 4 cents per canadian coin in a couple of years. Until then you are just wishing upon a cloud with a silver lining.

[Rubbadubba]

It's a dream we'd all wish for... (other than potentially devastating INFLATIONARY effects)!
But reallistically... we're playing a ball-game having somewhat different rules. Copper is not considered a "precious" metal (such as silver) and never will be. Not to say we "sorters" aren't counting on a good "return on investment" and hopefully a substantial one but $4 / pound is a far cry from $35 / ounce. Nevertheless, let's keep our dream alive and KEEP SORTING as long as we have fingers and smarts enough to count!

[Madwest]

When US silver coins were debased, Ag was approximately $1.40/oz.
Today at $4/lb, Cu is $0.25/oz.
Those figures are well within an order of magnitude so it is not illogical to expect the future of Cu to mimic that of Ag.

IMO, Cu will be $6-$7 per oz someday. Who knows when someday will be though?

[SilverEye]

It's not so much that the price of silver has gone up, it's that the value of the dollar has gone down.

As recently as the 1940's, 2 dimes would buy you a gallon of gasoline. Today, those same two dimes (if silver) will get you about a gallon of gas as well. But it takes a lot more paper dollars to buy that gallon.

[uthminsta]

Copper may not ever be $34 an ounce, but how about 25 times face? Or even 10? I don't know. But I certainly think they will be worth more in the future.

[lance]

25 cents or even 10 x face would be awesome to see....what price does copper have to get to before you guys will start selling? Im not sure if i would sell at 10x but 20x i would probably sell.

[Elcid69]

Silvereye, you nailed IT! At 65 Yrs. young I've been around the block too,I followed the Hunt Brothers down the trail and lost my XXX in 1970's. What goes - comes, but the dollar,( Fed. paper). always goes down vs. gold , silver and maybe copper.

[JT10]

When US silver coins were debased, Ag was approximately $1.40/oz.
Today at $4/lb, Cu is $0.25/oz.
Those figures are well within an order of magnitude so it is not illogical to expect the future of Cu to mimic that of Ag.

IMO, Cu will be $6-$7 per oz someday. Who knows when someday will be though?

Today's copper may be $4/lb, but copper was basically removed from the Cent in 1982. The January 1982 price for copper was about 72 cents per pound, so it already has increased 5x. If you want to compare orders of magnitude it might be best to have your baseline from when Copper was removed from the cent, and not today. Today they are looking at removing the Zinc from the cent.

That being said, Copper could hit $6-7 per ounce, but I would only see that under a hyperinflation scenario.

[Madwest]

When US silver coins were debased, Ag was approximately $1.40/oz.
Today at $4/lb, Cu is $0.25/oz.
Those figures are well within an order of magnitude so it is not illogical to expect the future of Cu to mimic that of Ag.

IMO, Cu will be $6-$7 per oz someday. Who knows when someday will be though?

Today's copper may be $4/lb, but copper was basically removed from the Cent in 1982. The January 1982 price for copper was about 72 cents per pound, so it already has increased 5x. If you want to compare orders of magnitude it might be best to have your baseline from when Copper was removed from the cent, and not today. Today they are looking at removing the Zinc from the cent.

Using today's price of Cu for the baseline comparison of order of magnitude is totally relevant because the 95% Cu cents are still in circulation in high percentage (20-30%). If it is important to the discussion to split some hairs, I can restate the point by saying that when 90% Ag coins were removed from circulation in large numbers, Ag was $1.40 per ounce. When Cu cents began to be removed from circulation in large numbers, Cu was/is about $0.25 per ounce. The analysis is the same.

That being said, Copper could hit $6-7 per ounce, but I would only see that under a hyperinflation scenario.

Hyperinflation scenario? If inflation 25x'ed in 15yr, that would almost constitute hyperinflation according to the definition by the International Accounting Standards Board.

According to your data Cu has 5.6x'ed in 30 yr. If it does that again over the next 30yr, is that hyperinflation? If it does the same over the next 30yr after that, is that hyperinflation? Not according to most definitions. That path puts Cu at $7.85 in 60yr at that linear trend and $6.05 in 45yr.

[SilverEye]

When will I sell? When I have to move! There's no way I'm loading 1000's of lbs of pennies just to truck it over my new place and find a place to keep it.

Or when I need the money. Just like my silver. It's part of my safety net.

[inflationhawk]

Anyone wishing for 10x or 25x face for copper may not be realizing the relativity of what those dollars you'd get would actually buy you. If copper pennies are at 10x or 25x face, the cost of everything else will likely have increased by that magnitude as well. Meaning you'll not likely be much better off than you are today from a purchasing power standpoint.

[uthminsta]

Anyone wishing for 10x or 25x face for copper may not be realizing the relativity of what those dollars you'd get would actually buy you. If copper pennies are at 10x or 25x face, the cost of everything else will likely have increased by that magnitude as well. Meaning you'll not likely be much better off than you are today from a purchasing power standpoint.

You make a good point. It's hard to take a hundred pounds of copper in to buy food or other necessities though. I'm just sayin.

[Madwest]

Anyone wishing for 10x or 25x face for copper may not be realizing the relativity of what those dollars you'd get would actually buy you. If copper pennies are at 10x or 25x face, the cost of everything else will likely have increased by that magnitude as well. Meaning you'll not likely be much better off than you are today from a purchasing power standpoint.

The way things look sometimes, staying even might be the best anyone could hope for.

If Cu does a 25x over 40yr strictly due to inflation, it is a pretty big gamble to say that your 401k would do substantially better than 25x over that same time. Your Social Security, 401k, IRA, FDIC insured savings, etc can all disappear with a mouse click. For my Cu to disappear, it has to be physically touched.

Every ton of Cu cents, is approximately $3000 face-fiat regardless of the CPI. I could put $3k in the S&P or put it into physical copper. I already have enough on the line with the S&P so I'm diversifying with some physical copper.

[inflationhawk]

No argument on preserving your purchasing power through holding copper...it's just that you can't count on being any better off than you are today just because you get 10x or 25x face for your pennies later.

Like Madwest said, sometimes staying even is accomplishment by itself!