Historic Copper & Bronze Coins at Black Mountain Coins  

       "There is no coin more beautiful than an Uncirculated copper with its color softened or toned down by time, and per contra there is nothing uglier than a poor one. Your silver and gold series in monotonous color may represent more intrinsic value, but in beauty the coppers surpass, as they often do in fictitious value."  - Writer's Identity Not Disclosed, Taken from The Numismatist, 1894.

         Okay, with some apologies, this installment of our newsletter will abandon the savvy investors, the bullion stackers and anyone else that views coins as merely their own surrogate stock market.  No, dear reader, this week we are going to slow it down for those that appreciate the enjoyment gleaned from a nice, well-matched set of copper coins.  Whether you collect British Large Pennies, Conder Tokens, Fugio Cents or U.S. Large Cents, copper collectors across the globe share a certain kinship and camaraderie.  We hope after perusing some of our offerings this week that you too are bitten by the bug to collect these wonderful little coins, but we must warn - IT CAN BE VERY ADDICTIVE!

        There is something warm and familiar about holding an old copper coin and pondering the many transactions that she must have seen in her day.  The autumnal brown color that a well-circulated copper earns by serving duty as a medium of exchange cannot be imitated.   It is a link to a simpler time when hard money stood for true value.  Did you know that the 1797 British Two Pence, a hefty chunk of metal if ever there was one, represented 2 pence worth of copper at that time?  By contrast a U.S. zinc cent today has about half a cent worth of metal and a Sacagawea Dollar contains approximately 6 cents of value within it's manganese shell.

        The rise in number of recent participants into the precious metals arena has left quality copper coinage ignored and by comparison, wildly affordable.  Well-heeled investors flock to add physical units to their gold and silver holdings, all the while watching their portfolio's performance via Kitco with the same uninterrupted reverence a stock exchange ticker tape is afforded. 

        Well, for me, this is a hobby first and foremost so you'll forgive me if I leave behind the investment angle in favor of a more innocent pursuit.  Say what you will but as the change of seasons approaches I will choose to enjoy my copper baubles without any care whatsoever as to how my portfolio is doing.  Make no mistake, copper enthusiasts are a fraternity that emphasizes patience and endurance over a fast return.  These collections are not measured in dollars but rather in thoroughness, quality, and the overall passion of the collection's custodian.  And at the end of the day, that is all any of us really are: custodians of our collections so that they may endure and give joy to future generations.