Central Copper Co. of Arizona - 1928 dated Mining Stock Certificate

Stock printed by Goes. Copper mining has been a significant industry in Arizona, a state within the United States, since the 19th century. In 2007, Arizona emerged as the foremost copper-producing state in the nation, yielding 750 thousand metric tons of copper, which was valued at $5.54 billion. This production accounted for 60% of the total copper output in the United States. Additionally, copper mining in the region generates gold and silver as byproducts, and the byproduct molybdenum positions Arizona as the second-largest producer of this metal in the country. Although the earliest Spanish explorers in Arizona discovered copper mineralization, the territory's remoteness made it challenging to mine and transport copper profitably.

Early prospectors of Spanish, Mexican, and American descent primarily focused on gold and silver, neglecting copper. It was not until the completion of the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1876 that copper mining became economically viable for widespread extraction and distribution. Until the early 20th century, all copper mining operations were conducted underground. However, following the successful extraction of a substantial low-grade copper deposit from an open pit at the Bingham Canyon mine in Utah, similar methods were adopted for Arizona's porphyry copper deposits, leading to the establishment of the state's first open pit copper mine at Ajo in 1917.