Other metal Buillion

[GarouLady]

I know will be off subject but I was wondering if anyone is collecting copper buillion? I know about copper pennies and the law prohibing the melting of it. But pure copper bullion? I bought some on an impulse buy and while I probably won't buy anymore. The LCS I went to way way overpriced it, stupid me. Or platinum? I can't imagine that being worth anything but it's more expensive than gold! The only other time I have heard of platinum was in the DragonLance novels.

anyone else want to spot their two cents in?

Hugs and Smiles,
garoulady

 

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[Wilmingtonsilver]

Sheepdog, you mentioned fluxing. Do you still need to flux the precious metals (silver, gold, platinum)? I was under the impression that those did not need to be.

 

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[sheepdog_tx]

Sheepdog, you mentioned fluxing. Do you still need to flux the precious metals (silver, gold, platinum)? I was under the impression that those did not need to be.

Yes, if you are not using the different pots you will get junk from other metals, by-products, etc. I dont know for all the metals, some thinks like silver solder bars come with flux. Basically the flux is there to help seperate the various components. Being base metals are lighter than the junk its easy to scoop off but fi say you melted lead and copper together if the lead didnt have time to vaporize it would sink to the bottom. When you pour it would be the last bit at the bottom. Same with gold vs silver, etc. I'm not an expert in PM processing, but on base metals I know enough to say if youre careful on temps, flux, and pour after seperation you'll get some nice ingots. Are you going to get .999 pure, no. But you can get very high % ingots none the less. Remember it takes less than 1% gold in a silver allow to give it a golden texture so on PMs its best to take any small ingots say from chips to an assayer to further purify or spot you for what you do have by thier grading. Problem is as you go from base to PMs you really get in a spot where your purity is a deal breaker. For example no ones going to make a fuse over a 97% copper ingot or a .999 copper ingot but on gold...

 

[Rushfan]

Sheepdog... you rock...!

 

[crazyfish]

Some absolutely excellent information in this thread. Thanks for your words SheepDog!

 

[sheepdog_tx]

Some absolutely excellent information in this thread. Thanks for your words SheepDog!

Thanks guys.

Back to GarouLady's question: I think unless you can get bus bar or want to penny sort copper is not cost effective. I like pennies cause you can always cash them in if you're hard up. There are copper rounds but the only ones with any good cost ratio are the Lakotas everyones marking down. There are bronze and brass rounds but I dont see the point, copper is a better option and its AOCS supported. I have heard of nickel rounds but I'm think nickel rolls are better here and easy to recash in.

On gold, platinum you can buy small units like 5grams and 1/10s eagles, rounds, but usually around a 10% spot markup there at best. 1/4 ounce in gold and plat are usually the point where the markups drop to more sane 5 to 7% markups. Right now platinum is still very much obtainable while everyones crazy on gold. Palladium coins are out there but rare in the US.

Once last mention, there are 5 and 10 gram silver .999 bars out there very cheap. There are good storable units and easy to use to "make change" on bars the way one does with smaller 90% units. If you search old posts I made a list of bars, rounds, eagles, pennies, etc all in a system where you could use them all together as a trade unit system in line with the AOCS. I highly recommend you look into this if you're thinking of breaking outside of 90% coinage as your store.

 

[sagittarius98]

http://www.monad.com/kurt/foundry.page.html

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