copper wire ?

Copperweld is a trade name. Here's their catalog.

They make all sorts of copper coated steel wire--from one strand stuff all the way up to 19 strand cable. They also make composite cable--a mix of the copper coated steel wire and plain copper wire. They market most of the wire towards electrical grounding, like around big transformers.



Apparently the electrical code makes you use ground wire that is really heavy for mechanical protection but that makes it oversized when you look at the current capacity if you use pure copper wire. So the copper coated steel is just right for the job.

Its a bit of a laugh to look thru the catalog. They make a big deal about copper thieves.

I'm curious to see how thick the copper is on CH's find. It sounds like it is a lot thicker than the modern wire.

Jon.

What if you sent a sample of it to someone with a yard that grades very fairly? Say their yard is willing to pay $1+/lb. It would be worth it to ship the lot to this person so they can sell it.