Copper (Cu)

Copper Round - one AVDP ounce - .999 bullion     Copper has been used by civilizations for thousands of years. It's name is derived from cyprium (or metal of Cyprus). Copper has innumerable industrial uses and a long history of monetary use dating back to the bronze coinage used in ancient Rome. During World War II, copper was so important to the war effort that pennies were made of steel. As the copper in a penny became worth more than a penny the U.S. Mint began making pennies mostly from zinc in 1982. It has been estimated that economically viable reserves of copper may become depleted in as few as 25 years. Though copper is not expensive, there have been attempts to manipulate its market for large profits including the Sumitoto copper affair in 1995 and more recently the Wall Street Journal has reported on attempts to corner the copper market (see below links) akin to what the Hunt brothers did in 1980 with silver and what Warren Buffett was thought to have attempted in the late