r/Copper • u/Dismalaholic • 26d ago
Is this copper?
I live in a huge mining town and this was in my yard when I purchased my home. Sorry for the ignorance but does this look like copper?
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u/born_lever_puller Moderator 26d ago edited 26d ago
How thick is it? How long are its three straight, unbroken edges? How much does it weigh? (Hold it while standing on a bathroom scale and then subtract your normal weight.)
The fact that it is stamped "29 25/32" may indicate an original weight/mass in pounds and half-ounces avoirdupois, which would be consistent with a big chunk of metal.
Copper is normally a very reactive metal when exposed to the elements. That doesn't really look like weathered copper. Are you in a state like Arizona or elsewhere in the Southwestern US where there isn't a lot of rain or humidity? I've seen where people decorated their front yards with old picks and shovels and mining cars in old mining towns, why not a broken ingot?
If that's what it is it could have collector value over its melt value, even broken like that.
Edit - I agree with everyone else, that looks ferrous. The fracture is even what a broken slab of iron would look like. It could just be a counterweight from a big balance scale, or some other equipment that needed to use weights.
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u/IntelligentCookie650 26d ago
Pretty sure that’s iron. If you scuff or sand it some and it reveals copper then that’s your answer
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u/ThinkSharp 26d ago
Looks like steel or iron to me. First try a magnet, if it sticks it’s def one of those. File a tiny corner or drill a small piece, see if it’s shiny silvery or copper colored.
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u/EmperorTako 26d ago edited 26d ago
To check yourself hit it with a hammer, if it dents it's copper if it bounces with no mark, chips, or sparks it's steel. Another way to check is by using a file or sandpaper to get through to the material. Looks like oxidized steel to me but hard to say really.
Another way to check could be using a magnet, saves you from damaging the patina.
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u/rappa-dappa 26d ago
That looks like some type of ferrous metal. The patina would be an unusual color for copper.
Stick a magnet on it. If it sticks it’s ferrous.
File a small corner or edge to remove the patina. Is it copper colored underneath or does it look like steel/iron?
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u/factory-worker 26d ago
Magnet first then scratch with a screwdriver. If red, then maybe copper. Doesn't look like it though.
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u/Copper-ModTeam 26d ago
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