fallback CME Jul 31, 2026 settlement · latest Gold API HG value (assumed USD/lb) loads automatically
Sources and review: Reviewed by MeltOffer on . Latest browser value: Gold API HG/USD. Gold API identifies Copper/HG and USD but documents neither the unit nor a CME linkage; MeltOffer assumes its HG value follows the CME HG convention of USD per pound and requires independent verification. Dated fallback: the official CME Metals Daily Bulletin; the contract basis is Grade 1 copper cathode, not scrap. Grade and recovery terms: ReMA specifications. The dated settlement is editable and is not a local scrap quote.
Grade names describe sorting; full-benchmark rows do not predict buyer recovery. Select Custom for a measured or quoted recovery factor.
How to compare buyer quotes and published payout benchmarks.
Grades decide the price, so sort before you go
ReMA specifications separate bare bright, #1, #2, and insulated wire by form and contamination. Keep unlike material separate and ask the buyer which specification and deductions apply; the calculator's full-benchmark rows are comparison ceilings, not promised yard prices.
Insulated wire needs a measured recovery factor
ReMA insulated-wire specifications use sampling and an agreed recovery basis rather than one universal percentage. Select Custom, enter the buyer's or processor's recovery factor, and compare the resulting benchmark with the actual written quote and fees.
The copper reference is not a scrap board price
The current browser reference and CME fallback are market benchmarks, not local scrap quotes. Scrap form, contamination, preparation, location, scale terms, and buyer demand can change the yard quote, so compare actual net-dollar offers instead of applying an invented fixed grade discount.
Frequently asked questions
where to scrap copper
Scrap copper at a licensed local yard, a larger regional recycler, or a direct processor for qualifying bulk loads. Sort it by grade first, then compare each yard's daily board price and scale terms.
what are scrap copper prices today
No single national scrap-copper price covers every grade and location. Use this calculator for an editable cathode benchmark, then enter the yard's actual quote and fees for a comparable net result.
can you scrap copper pennies
Generally, you cannot scrap US one-cent coins for their copper value. 31 CFR § 82.1 prohibits melting or processing them for metal recovery and generally prohibits exporting them; only narrow § 82.2 exceptions apply.
how to scrap copper wire
Keep bare and insulated wire separate, identify attachments and contamination, and ask the yard for its accepted ReMA-style grade and recovery basis. Enter that measured or quoted factor under Custom instead of assuming one percentage for every cable.
are scrap copper prices going up
No calculator can reliably predict whether scrap copper prices are going up. Compare the latest disclosed copper reference, recent CME settlements, and local yard board prices instead of treating a forecast as a quote.
how to identify different types of scrap copper
Bare bright is clean, uncoated shiny wire; #1 is clean tube or wire without solder; #2 has paint, solder, heavy oxidation, or contamination. Keep insulated wire separate because yards price it by expected copper recovery.
US base-metal coin calculators
Calculate copper-cent and nickel composition values.
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