Melting Pennies

a stove

Copper — Melting Point: 1357.77 K (1084.62 °C, 1984.32 °F)

Ya that's true it would probably take as much money to melt them than I would get for them

Because the penny is worth almost three times its face value

Like people said--someone has to refine it to pure copper, unless they want that particular alloy. I think it would be more tempting in Canada, where they used pure Ni 5c for years. Besides, Ni has been about $14/lb to $3 for Cu. Those pure Ni would be worth 12c each. I'm sure that's one reason Canada went to cupro-nickel in 1982.

I hoard copper and was thinking the same thing. It would cost maybe 3000 to 5000 for an smelter machine to melt them. Those machines cost an lot money to run them after you buy machine.

You could always to try find those smashed penny machines like at zoo or park. I would rather run them Thur those smashed penny machines and then sell to scrap yard as number 2 copper. Those machines are cheap to use besides trying melt them down into blobs of copper mixed with zinc, tin junk. Its safer for sure besides melting them.


Whatever you do dont get caught its 5 year in federal prison and 10000 thousand dollar fine for exporting or selling pennies for scrap metal.

I did find away on how get away with melting pennies and nickels down in USA if that your thing. I called Canada government and asked them if I could buy there coins from there banks . They said yes I can no problem. I think an company in Ohio is doing it and its all legal .

There is loophole over there and with us customs . The law reads you can bring in 10000 dollars undeclared no problem. In Canada there no law leaving with coins in trucks if tell us customs you have less than 10000 dollars declared money when you enter the USA at international border bridge.

Once you get all pre 1996 pennys and all pre 81 nickels in the USA you can destroy them and sell them for scrap metal or bullion. The law reads you cant destroy there money in Canada but once in USA you can destroy it all day as long its no USA nickels or pennys you are melting down. There pre 96 pennys are like old pre 82 coins over here.

If lived up north at Canada border I would be doing this as an living but I live in south Texas and been in Texas all my life.

There another loophole I found on selling USA pennys as scrap metal. If you live close to Mexico border. You can drive them across mexican border into Mexico and sell USA pennys for scrap metal in Mexico. I used live in Mexico and would cross over into USA all the time. The us customs does not check cars or trucks driving into mexico. They check your car coming back into USA. Auto thiefs do all time. Steal an car in USA and drive it across international bridge no problem . Once in Mexico its not stolen anymore. Its sad those auto thief's get away with down there for years since us customs dont check cars leaving the USA. When I lived in Mexico I was afraid to buy used cars since they could be stolen from USA. I never bought an car down there unless it in the USA or brand new car from Mexican car dealership.

You can maybe carry maybe 500 dollars worth copper pennys into Mexico and sell for maybe 1000 bucks and drive back across into USA no problem. I dont know the price on copper or scrap dealers there. But if us government bust you its still jail time and fines.

Have fun Chevrolet454ss

This just my opinion only a fool would melt copper cent down. 1 cent maybe worth 3X melted but think of the young collects that are not collecting yet! is worth making them pay 10X because someone wanted 3 cent for 1 now? I don't think so!

Theres no money in melying pennies unless your doing it by the ton.