What is Meant by Gold, Silver and Copper

Gold and silver appear to have been of obvious importance to the Nephites, and the Jaredites before them. Upon landing, Nephi notes they found very few items in this new land in the area in which they landed and settled. In fact, though in a new land never before seen, he mentions only three things: a nearby forest, domesticated (feral) and wild animals, and three ores: gold, silver and copper. This should suggest the importance of these ores in Nephi’s mind. Certainly the Nephites throughout their existence in the Land of Promise placed great emphasis on these ores since they are mentioned frequently in the scriptural record:

Top: Gold ore; Bottom L: Silver ore; Bottom R: Copper ore; it would not have been difficult for Nephi to see such rock containing metal ore as he walked around their encampment

Gold 62 times,
Silver 51 times
Copper 56 times
    Few nouns are mentioned as often as gold, silver land copper in the scriptural record. In addition, Iron is mentioned 32 times but only 8 refer to ore in the ground.
    While Nephi mentioned these ores as being visible as they walked around the area of where they landed, the Jaredites mined their ores. As Ether wrote: “they did dig it out of the earth; wherefore they did cast up mighty heaps of earth to get ore, of gold, and of silver, and of iron, and of copper. And they did work all manner of fine work” (Ether 10:23).
    Gold was used for making jewelry, ornamentation, decorations, armlets, money, commerce, and weapons; Silver was apparently used in buildings and making machinery (Jarom 1:8), as well as decoration, money, and personal ornamentation; Both gold and silver were used for acquiring wealth (Alma 1:29), and for ornament of buildings and furniture (Mosiah 11:8-9,11), and for measuring wealth and status (Alma 31:24).
    The Nephites also knew how to alloy metals, and made both brass (copper and zinc), and bronze (copper and tin), as well as steel (1 Nephi 16:10; 2 Nephi 5:15; Jarom 1:8; Mosiah 11:3,8,10).
    It might also be of interest that the Jaredites also made brass around 2000 BC (Ether 10:23), yet at the same time mined to get the metals by digging it out of the ground to establish deep pits or mines. Obviously, those who wrote of it had a clear understanding of those metals which are found in a raw state, and those which must be made as an alloy.
    So understanding the importance of precious metals to the Nephites and Jaredites, what do we find in the writing of theorists about the various theories that exist and whether or not their models and beliefs match the scriptural record.

The four landing sites claimed for the Heartland Theory, and the one for Mesoamerica

As an example, in tracking the various landing sites claimed for Lehi, we find very different information about the gold, silver and copper (as well as iron) found in that general area where Lehi and those with him would have settled after landing. Consider the density of mines in these landing sites and how that supports a theory based on the scriptural record:
• South America: Mines in Coquimbo-La Serena, Chile
Copper                 116
Gold                       65
Silver                      18
Iron                        10
• Mesoamerica: Mines in Guatemala Landing Site (Monerrico)
Copper                    3
Gold                        2
Silver                      8
Iron                        0
• Heartland: According to the State of Florida Department of Natural Resources, Florida does not have the geological conditions where gold is found, and there are no known occurrences of natural gold within the state of Florida. It is claimed that gold was brought into Florida during the Age of Sail from the Spanish as well as pirates, but none is natural to the state. Today, the mines in Florida are sand and gravel mines.
• Mines in Tallahassee (Apalachicola),
Copper                      0                     
Gold                          0
Silver                        0   
Iron                           0
There are no gold, silver or copper mines in Leon County where both Tallahassee and Apalachicola are located. Of the 129 Iron mines, 123 Aluminum mines, 127 Uranium mines, 128 Phosphate mines, 122 Fluorine mines, and 121 Magnesite mines in Florida, none are located in Leon County, There is one sand mine in the county.
• Mines in Penscola, Florida
Copper                     0
Gold                          0
Silver                        0
Iron                           0  
Titanium                  2
• Mines in Crystal River, Florida 
Copper                       0
Gold                           0
Silver                          0
Iron                             0   
Phosphate                 1
Aluminum                2
Fluorine                     1
Uranium                    3
• Mines in Mobile, Alabama
Copper                       0
Gold                           0
Silver                         0
Iron                            2
Aluminum                1
Silicca                        4
Fluorite                     3
Titanium                   1

It should be kept in mind that gold, silver and copper have singular meanings, no theorist can claim these words in the scriptural record mean anything other than what they mean today. Gold is gold, refined from ore, as is silver and copper. While some theorists, especially those claiming Mesoamerica as the landing site, want to cloud the issue introducing tumbaga rather than gold used in the Land of Promise, tumbaga is still an alloy of gold and copper and does not reduce the abundance requirement of gold, silver and copper needed for Lehi’s landing site.
    Thus, as can easily be seen, none of these sites where it is claimed Lehi landed, either in Florida (Heartland Theory), or the one in Mesoamerica, were and are sufficient in gold, silver and copper to satisfy the constant references to these items in the scriptural record.
    Only the landing site and area in Coquimbo-La Serena in Chile, South America, meets the requirements for these ores according to the various prophets and writers of the scriptural record.