Did you know?

• Copper is the only metal other than gold that has a natural color? Other metals are either gray or white.
• Copper does not corrode, rust or damage easily.
• The first known use of copper dates back 10,000 years.
• Archeologists have unearthed copper drainpipes from as far aback as 3,500 BC, that are still in good condition.
• To make all the pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters in 1999, the U.S. Mint used about 36,000 tons of copper.
• Pennies today contain only about 2.5% copper. Why? The value of a 100% copper penny would far exceed one cent. So, the U.S. Mint makes each penny from a slug of zinc with a layer of copper electroplated onto it.
• The Statue of Liberty is covered with almost 200,000 pounds of copper sheeting.
• One of the famous Dead Sea Scrolls, found in a cave in Israel, is made of copper. This unique scroll does not contain religious writings, but rather the clues to an undiscovered treasure of gold and silver.
• Most automobiles have about 50 pounds of copper in them.
• Copper is the third most used metal, only after iron and aluminum.
• Copper has the highest rate of recycling of any other metal.
• Most of the copper that has ever been mined is still in circulation.
• Copper is essential in the human diet. We get copper from seafood, nuts, raisins and even chocolate!
• Antimicrobial copper kills greater than 99.9% of bacteria within two hours of exposure. (Even MRSA)
• Copper is used in gardening sprays to get rid of mildew.
• The use of copper piping helps to prevent Legionnaire's Disease.
• The average home has over 400 pounds of copper in it, generally from wiring and plumbing parts.
• We are in no danger of running out of copper. Known worldwide resources are estimated at 5.8 trillion pounds, of which less than a trillion have been mined throughout history. (most of that is still in circulation)
• Almost 95% of plumbers use copper pipe in their own homes.
• Did you know that Malachite often results from the weathering of copper ores and is often found together with azurite?