Zombucks and other 1 oz Copper Rounds Coin Review

So for the past month you may have noticed Ebay and other auction sites flooded with these cool looking 1 oz copper rounds(coins). I've always been a fan of commemorative and challenge coins, but they can be a bit pricey, usually starting at about $10. So the relatively cheap 1 oz copper coins were an attractive deal to me, as they can be as low as $1. The most popular one by far is the Zombucks 1 oz copper rounds. These are advertised as, The currency of the Apocalypse, Ha Ha. But there are many other coins out there, a simple search on Ebay for "1 oz Copper" will bring up several dozen different coin designs.

I can't turn down a good deal, and I needed a few small things for stocking stuffers, so I bought a few of the Zombuck coins. According to info I found online, these coins will be released in a series. 2 new coins being released every few months til the series ends in 2015. The first 2 are pretty cool looking, the 'Walker' design is the first in the series & the 2nd in the series is the 'Morgue Anne' design. Both play on the designs of the old US coins, the Standing Liberty & Morgan Dollar. They are very detailed, and well worth the $1.50 I spent on each one. I've seen this particular series go for an average of $2 a coin... not bad, and in my opinion well worth the money.

Now I know that copper is all the rage right now, at least once a week I see on the local news a story about someone stealing copper tubing or wiring to recycle. One reporter even went as far as calling copper the 'Poor Mans Gold', which is historically true, but lets not look at these coins as Copper Investment opportunities. The simplistic math is an ounce of Copper is worth about 25 cents, and copper is traditionally only recyclable by the pound and preferably by the ton. So if your paying $2 on a 1 oz copper coin, you're loosing $1.75 on your investment. So don't look at these coins as investments, instead see them for what they are... great novelties, collectibles, conversation pieces or just cool coins if you need to make a 'heads or tails' coin flip.

I do have one problem with these Copper coins, its the same with a majority of the 1 oz Copper Rounds I've come across. The face of the coin is always a cool picture, where the back of the coin is often less impressive. Usually displaying the name of the company that minted it or some other less impressive yet still very detailed picture. So if you buy several different coins made by the same company, then they will all have the same back side, The first 2 Zombucks are a perfect example of this. So if you come across an auction that only shows the front of the coin, its probably cause its just unimpressive. I suppose if you want to collect all the coins out there, and want to keep them together in 'minted by' sets, then the back side being the same on coins minted in the same company is a easy way to identify them. But I have no interest in collecting entire sets, so I personally would of preferred the back sides to be just as different & impressive as the fronts. Thats just me though....

I'll be keeping my eye on these Copper Rounds auctions, and probably buying more if they come out with more designs I like.