Super copper nugget (70-110mm) from Michigan/USA (old find 1995-1998)

Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a red/yellow transition metal that is also known as red copper in its unalloyed form. Excavations in the north of what is today known as Iraq have shown that copper was already being used around 8700 BC[1] Other excavations show that in 5000 B.C. copper has already been melted and isolated from copper-containing minerals such as malachite and azurite. The Sumerians and Egyptians are known to have lived around 3000 B.C. copper smelted and used to make bronze. The use of copper was also known in China and there are very high-quality bronze objects from 1200 BC. found it. The mummy Ötzi, found in 1991 in the Austrian/Italian Alps, was probably built around 3300 BC. died, was carrying tools made of 99.7% pure copper. In mythology and alchemy, copper was often associated with the deity Aphrodite because of its beautiful shine. For this reason, copper was previously used for mirrors, among other things. The name copper comes from the Latin word Cuprum. This word is derived from "aes cyprium", which means "ore of Cyprus". In ancient times, copper was mined in Cyprus. The main sources of copper are the minerals chalcopyrite, chalcocite, covellite, azurite, malachite and bornite. These are widely found in the earth's crust. Important deposits of copper ore are Chile, Peru and the United States. In Chile, about one-third of all copper is mined. Indonesia has shown the strongest growth in copper production over the past decade and was the fourth largest producer in 2009. The main users of copper are China, Germany and the United States. Global copper consumption in 2009 was 18.4 million tons. Mine production was 15.8 million tons and through recycling the total supply was 18.6 million tons. Demand is increasing faster than supply, causing inventories to fall. On February 4, 2011, the price of copper reached a record level of $10,000 per ton[2]. The same Financial Times article reported that demand will largely exceed supply in 2011, meaning further price increases can be expected. Copper is traded on various international exchanges, such as London, New York and Shanghai.