No Copper In Mixed Bank Wrapped Rolls

In North Central Kansas I averaged 13% copper per 1000 cents. In Salem OR. I average just under 4% yes it appears the copper plucking is silently going on out here. I factored in the dump cost etc. and concluded for myself it would barely be break even level if I were legally able to sell for melt.
I believe these copper cents are hoarded by us collectors but not the full cause of their disaperence. What I suspect is shipping containers filled with copper headed to Asia for melt. I'm sounding like a conspiracy theorist now "there is a vast right wing conspiracy against my husband and I".
Bottom line for me, copper cents are diminishing in circulation.

N.F. String & Son Inc. is running an ebay store called webcoins. They're pulling the copper pennies out of circulation and selling them at a roughly 44% markup on this ebay store. Webcoins is a fictitious name for which the principal is N.F. String & Son Inc, both located in Harrisburg.

Just for the idea, but keep in mind that the last copper cents were made 36 years ago and that the market has been flushed with billions and billions of zinc cents since. So that means that, even if not a single cent would have gotten lost since, the share of copper would decrease fast anyway. But coins are written off after some time and coins are both lost, destroyed or taken out of circulation. In this case it's extra easy to filter out copper coins as they weigh more than the plated zinc. 36 years is about the estimated lifetime of a coin. Small denominations are usually wearing down extra fast. So I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of copper cents have already been taken out by now.

I'm not sure about Asian companies shipping containers full of pennies to Asia as that may cause a bit of a headache at customs. Copper tends to weigh quite a bit and ships also have load balancing. I can imagine that people are hoarding copper cents, though. For what I understand a lot of members here do so, at least up to a certain extent, and not every collector in the world is a member here. Even I managed to get hold of a few kilograms of American copper cents and I don't even live there...

MBACMA I see what you mean. They've been dealing with banks since the 20's. They make napkin holders too.

@oriole
@fistfulladirt
@LibertyEagle20

I got one of those all zinc boxes too, and I was able to find out what they're doing via some internet research. The dead giveaway is when you go to their ebay store and see an N.F. String & Son roll of pennies in the store photo, plus big stacks of $500 face copper penny bags for sale, clearly the product of a large operation. They're doing presort/separating on other things too as you can see from the store's items for sale. I agree copper pennies are going to end up going the way of silver U.S. coins eventually, I have to say though that I hope their new venture is not successful and that these tons of copper find their way back into circulation!

I still keep any copper I find in change, but they seem to come less regularly than in the past. Probably around 10% as well.

Very interesting Bobby. I think string and sons could corner the market. They are huge.

I doubt it, not while they are losing money on minting cents every year. To reduce mintage requirements, they should want to keep as many cents in circulation as possible. I think the money gained pulling copper cents for melt would be lost to minting replacement Zincolns.