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Reference · Metals

Copper price today

Copper is quoted per pound rather than per troy ounce, so the figures here are small. Cents were 95 percent copper from 1864 until the middle of 1982, nickels have been 75 percent copper since 1866, and clad dimes, quarters and halves are about 92 percent copper by weight. Mint regulation prohibits melting cents and nickels for their metal; the values are reference figures.

Spot live, updated Oct 29, 8:41 AM

USD per pound; the page re-prices itself every two minutes
Copper, per lb $6.63 −$0.01 (0.20%) over 24 hours
Per gram $0.01461
Per ounce $0.4142
Per kilogram $14.61

U.S. copper coins at today's spot

Pure metal in the coin times spot. Melt is what the metal is worth, not what the coin sells for.
Coin Alloy Weight Copper Melt × face Calculator
Half cents, 100% copper 1793 to 1857 · Liberty Cap Half Cents, Draped Bust Half Cents, Classic Head Half Cents, Braided Hair Half Cents · also 6.74 g 1793 to 1795 · 100% copper, 5.44 g
100% copper 5.44 g 5.44 g $0.08 15.9× Calculate
Large cents, 100% copper 1793 to 1857 · Flowing Hair Large Cents, Liberty Cap Large Cents, Draped Bust Large Cents, Classic Head Large Cents, Coronet Head Large Cents, Braided Hair Large Cents · also 13.48 g 1793 to 1795 · 100% copper, 10.89 g
100% copper 10.89 g 10.89 g $0.16 15.9× Calculate
Cents, 88% copper 1857 to 1864 · Flying Eagle Cents, Indian Head Cents · 88% copper, 4.67 g
88% copper 4.67 g 4.11 g $0.06 6× Calculate
Cents, 95% copper 1864 to 1982, collector issues to 2009 · Indian Head Cents, Lincoln Wheat Cents, Lincoln Memorial Cents, Lincoln Bicentennial Cents · 95% copper, 3.11 g
95% copper 3.11 g 2.95 g $0.04 4.3× Calculate
Cents, copper-plated zinc, 2.5% copper 1982 to 2025, collector issues to 2026 · Lincoln Memorial Cents, Lincoln Bicentennial Cents, Lincoln Shield Cents · copper-plated zinc, 2.5% copper, 2.50 g
copper-plated zinc, 2.5% copper 2.50 g 0.06 g $0.00 0.1× Calculate
Two-cent pieces, 95% copper 1864 to 1872, collector issues to 1873 · Two-Cent Pieces · 95% copper, 6.22 g
95% copper 6.22 g 5.91 g $0.09 4.3× Calculate
Three-cent nickels, 75% copper 1865 to 1889 · Three-Cent Nickels · 75% copper, 1.94 g
75% copper 1.94 g 1.46 g $0.02 0.7× Calculate
Nickels, 75% copper 1866 to 2026 · Shield Nickels, Liberty Head Nickels, Buffalo Nickels, Jefferson Nickels · 75% copper, 5.00 g
75% copper 5.00 g 3.75 g $0.05 1.1× Calculate
Dimes, copper-nickel clad 1965 to 2026 · Roosevelt Dimes · copper-nickel clad, 2.27 g
copper-nickel clad 2.27 g 2.08 g $0.03 0.3× Calculate
Quarters, copper-nickel clad 1965 to 2025 · Washington Quarters, Washington Quarters (Statehood & Territories), Washington Quarters (America the Beautiful), Washington Quarters (American Women) · copper-nickel clad, 5.67 g
copper-nickel clad 5.67 g 5.20 g $0.08 0.3× Calculate
Half dollars, copper-nickel clad 1971 to 2026 · Kennedy Half Dollars · copper-nickel clad, 11.34 g
copper-nickel clad 11.34 g 10.40 g $0.15 0.3× Calculate
Eisenhower Dollars, copper-nickel clad 1971 to 1978 · Eisenhower Dollars · copper-nickel clad, 22.68 g
copper-nickel clad 22.68 g 20.79 g $0.30 0.3× Calculate
Susan B. Anthony Dollars, copper-nickel clad 1979 to 1999 · Susan B. Anthony Dollars · copper-nickel clad, 8.10 g
copper-nickel clad 8.10 g 7.43 g $0.11 0.1× Calculate
Dollars, 88.5% copper 2000 to 2026 · Sacagawea & Native American Dollars, Presidential Dollars, American Innovation Dollars · 88.5% copper, 8.10 g
88.5% copper 8.10 g 7.17 g $0.10 0.1× Calculate

Nickel, zinc, tin and manganese are not in the price feed, so each figure is the coin's copper alone.

Weights and alloys are the catalogue's specifications for each issue; a worn coin weighs a little less. The melt calculator prices any weight and purity.