# Is the price of copper per ounce, pound, or what?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-price-of-copper-per-ounce-pound-or-what/519953>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 4, 2009, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-price-of-copper-per-ounce-pound-or-what/519953 "2009-12-04T04:58:25Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\
**Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-price-of-copper-per-ounce-pound-or-what/519953/1 "2009-12-04T04:58:25Z")

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So I have four tarnished cups that would be sort of Art Deco / Space Age if they had any styling to them at all. But no, they’re basically just four completely barren silvery cups that I “inherited” from somebody (was given as a gift for helping them move and they passed shortly after.)

If they had any refinement to them I would keep them out of sentimentality, but that thought all passed when I realized they were silver and saw what the price of silver is. Then I read the label and found they were just silver plated.

Then I found out that some silver plate is actually copper underneath, which by diligent net research I find is valued at around “3”. Three WHAT is my question. If it’s per pound, I may as well hold on to them or see if they have any value as cups. Whereas if it’s $3 per ounce I might still consider selling them just for the metal value if it’s really copper underneath.

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**Author:** ![Silophant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a698b9/32.png) [@Silophant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silophant)\
**Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-price-of-copper-per-ounce-pound-or-what/519953/2 "2009-12-04T05:09:02Z")

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Scrap copper isn’t that expensive, compared to precious metals. You’d be lucky to get $3 a pound, especially if it isn’t pure. Certainly not $3 an ounce.

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**Author:** ![Fubaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@Fubaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fubaya)\
**Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-price-of-copper-per-ounce-pound-or-what/519953/3 "2009-12-04T05:32:54Z")

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Copper is around $3 per pound right now.

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**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\
**Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-price-of-copper-per-ounce-pound-or-what/519953/4 "2009-12-04T05:37:43Z")

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[http://www.benefits-of-recycling.com/copperrecyclingprices.html](http://www.benefits-of-recycling.com/copperrecyclingprices.html)

> [@](#):
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> The prices of scrap copper vary depending on the kind of scrap. Die cast parts are the most desirable bringing up to 25 dollars per pound. Scraps from generators and electrical motors are bought by metal salvage yards for up to 10 dollars per pound. Number 1 wire can bright up 2.50 per pound.

If those cups are cast copper and silver plated, you can probably get the higher end for the copper, plus whatever silver can be recovered from the plating.

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**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\
**Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-price-of-copper-per-ounce-pound-or-what/519953/5 "2009-12-04T12:00:30Z")

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Yep, per pound. And you’d be lucky to find a scrap yard that would pay more than $1.50/pound. Sounds like keepers.