Posted 03/24/2010 9:46 pm
In the Krause catalogues, "bronze" usually means coinage bronze. Coinage bronze is usually 98% copper, 2% tin, plus or minus a percent. Treating it as pure copper for "bullion purposes" won't introduce too much error.
Very few countries still have bronze coins that can be found in circulation for face value. Most of the "coppers" in use around the world are plated steel or plated zinc, containing 1% copper or less.
Australia and New Zealand, for instance, withdrew their bronze 1c and 2c coins in 1990, and didn't replace them. In Australia, the banks return any that get deposited to the Mint, which destroys them and either sells the scrap copper for profit or uses it to make new cupronickel coins. The new "copper" NZ 10c coin is a plate job.
There are a few bronze coins you can still find out there, though.
The Japanese 10 yen coin is probably the commonest: struck to the same specifications since 1951, it's 4.5 grams of coinage bronze for slightly more than 10 US cents face at current exchange rates. It's relatively high face value has no doubt helped preserve it.
The Samoan 2 sene coin still circulates, as far as I'm aware; almost 4 grams of coinage bronze with a face value less than a US cent. The Tongan 2 seniti likewise still circulates, though it's no longer produced; same size, worth slightly over 1 US cent.
The United Arab Emirates 10 fils coin shrunk in size in 1996, but it's still bronze, for less than 3 US cents face value.
The Pakistan 1 rupee has only just been replaced with an aluminium coin, in 2007. 4 grams, for just over 1 US cent. While on the subject of copper coins of Pakistan, the only "copper crown-sized coin" of the late 20th century was struck by them: a huge 5 rupee coin (35mm, 20 grams of pure copper) for the 50th anniversary of the UN in 1995. Not intended to circulate.
Very few countries still have bronze coins that can be found in circulation for face value. Most of the "coppers" in use around the world are plated steel or plated zinc, containing 1% copper or less.
Australia and New Zealand, for instance, withdrew their bronze 1c and 2c coins in 1990, and didn't replace them. In Australia, the banks return any that get deposited to the Mint, which destroys them and either sells the scrap copper for profit or uses it to make new cupronickel coins. The new "copper" NZ 10c coin is a plate job.
There are a few bronze coins you can still find out there, though.
The Japanese 10 yen coin is probably the commonest: struck to the same specifications since 1951, it's 4.5 grams of coinage bronze for slightly more than 10 US cents face at current exchange rates. It's relatively high face value has no doubt helped preserve it.
The Samoan 2 sene coin still circulates, as far as I'm aware; almost 4 grams of coinage bronze with a face value less than a US cent. The Tongan 2 seniti likewise still circulates, though it's no longer produced; same size, worth slightly over 1 US cent.
The United Arab Emirates 10 fils coin shrunk in size in 1996, but it's still bronze, for less than 3 US cents face value.
The Pakistan 1 rupee has only just been replaced with an aluminium coin, in 2007. 4 grams, for just over 1 US cent. While on the subject of copper coins of Pakistan, the only "copper crown-sized coin" of the late 20th century was struck by them: a huge 5 rupee coin (35mm, 20 grams of pure copper) for the 50th anniversary of the UN in 1995. Not intended to circulate.
Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise, you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. - C. S. Lewis
