Syndicated News Column:
Gold, Silver, And Copper

The image above shows gold in the form of gold bars;  the image is provided courtesy of Mr. Steve Bidmead from Pixabay.

“Global gold demand grew to 1,123 tons in the second quarter of 2019, a rise of 8% on the same period last year,” stated the World Gold Council. In the organization’s latest Gold Demand Trends Report, central national banks in a number of countries purchased substantial amounts of gold during this time period. Among the largest purchasers, according to this report, were national banks in Poland, India, China, Russia, Turkey, and Kazakhstan.

According to the Mineral Commodity Summaries 2019 Report issued by the United States Geological Survey, “in 2018, domestic gold mine production was estimated to be about 210 tons, 11% less than that in 2017, and the value was estimated to be about $8.6 billion.” The report indicated that gold in mined in twelve states, including Alaska, California, Colorado, Nevada, South Carolina, and South Dakota.

Silver is utilized for a wide variety of products, including coins for the United States of America.  The photo
above, provided courtesy of Mr. Matthew Heinrichs from Pixabay, showcases the one ounce silver dollar
coins minted by the Federal Government.

Globally, more than 855 million ounces of silver were mined throughout the world in 2018, according to the World Silver Supply published by The Silver Institute.

Leading producers of silver include Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Chile, China, Mexico, Peru, Poland, Russia, and the United States, according to the Mineral Commodity Summaries 2019 Report issued by the United States Geological Survey.

“In 2018, United States mines produced approximately 900 tons of silver with an estimated value of $440 million,” according to that report. “Silver was produced at four silver mines and as a byproduct or coproduct from 38 domestic base and precious-metal mines. Alaska continued as the country’s leading silver-producing State, followed by Nevada.”

Copper is used to manufacture a number of products.  One of those products, copper wire,
is seen in the photo above provided by Mr. Łukasz Klepaczewski from Pixabay.

“The United States of America is the second largest producer of copper in the world,” according to the Copper Development Association.  “The largest copper mine is found in Utah (Bingham Canyon).  Other major mines are found in Arizona, Michigan, New Mexico, and Montana.  In South America, Chile, the world's largest producer, and Peru are both major producers of copper.”

“In 2018, United States mine production of recoverable copper decreased by 5% to an estimated 1.2 million tons and was valued at an estimated $8 billion, essentially unchanged from $7.92 billion in 2017,” according to the Mineral Commodity Summaries 2019 Report issued by the United States Geological Survey. “Arizona was the leading copper-producing State and was responsible for about 66% of domestic output, followed by Utah, New Mexico, Nevada, Montana, Michigan, and Missouri.”

© 2019 Richard McDonough