Golden State Mint Copper Rounds

When collecting precious metals, as coins and bullion, it is natural to first think of gold and silver. These are not, however, the only precious metals that can be collected, and one that is widely available and highly regarded is copper. For the beginning collector, copper is a low-cost way to collect bullion and coins, and there are a number of different sources for collectors and investors to use.

Copper rounds are modelled after the American quarter, but they are not legal tender. They have a much higher artistic and collectability value than actual coins, and since they are 99.9% pure copper their value reflects the market value of copper at any given time. Today the value of copper is relatively low, so copper rounds are an excellent low-cost entry point into bullion, and the price can experience significant spikes.

Golden State Mint offers a range of Copper Bullion Rounds of different weights. Rounds are offered as ¼ oz., ½ oz., 1 oz. and 5 oz., in a variety of designs. There are a set of basic designs available in both the ¼ oz. and ½ oz. weights:

• three different Liberty ‘heads’ – Standing, Walking and the Statue of Liberty, each with the American Eagle as the ‘tails’. The eagle is in the heraldic stance, behind a shield. Above the eagle’s head are the 13 stars of the founding states. In his mouth is a banner with the words “E Pluribus Unum”. The Walking Liberty coin has a flying eagle as the ‘tails’.
• The heraldic eagle also features as the ‘tails’ on the Eagle Head Round, showing the proud head of the American Eagle in profile.
• Liberty is again seen, as a profile head, on the Morgan Round, with a profile of Mercury on the similar Mercury Round.
• Three rounds have Indian heads – the Buffalo Round, The Incuse Indian Round and the Indian Head Round. With the exception of the Buffalo Round, which features an American Bison as the ‘tails’, the Indian rounds have variations of the American Eagle as the ‘tails’.

The 1 oz. Rounds are available in the same designs, plus an additional 48 other designs, ranging in theme from the ‘Too Big to Fail’ banker with a skull’s head, fleeing with a bag of loot, to the Second Amendment rifle-bearer and the Pope Francis I Round. The ‘tail’ of many of the designs unique to the 1 oz. Round depicts the Golden State Mint Silver Shield Trivium design, with its intricate circular geometric patterning. The Trivium design dates from 1647, and is Latin for the meeting of three ways – a crossroads. It refers to Grammar, Rhetoric and Logic, the basic skills of the Medieval University.

The 5 oz. Rounds are available in 12 patterns, including some from the lighter-weight rounds, as well as some unique to this weight, including a double-sided Trivium, and two coins based on the Chinese calendar, with the Goat or the Horse as the ‘heads’ and the Chinese calendar as the ‘tails’.

With the wealth of designs available, all coins are freshly-minted, and they represent an attractive way to both collect a fascinating range of different coins at a modest price, and invest in bullion for a smaller outlay. For buyers interested in bullion, Golden State Mint Copper Coins are a great entry-point purchase, for both collectability and investment value.