What kind of casket was Elvis Presley buried in?

Answer 1

Elvis Presley was buried in a seamless copper deposit casket, design # 21200, manufactured by the (former) National Casket Company of Boston. Twenty years befor, Elvis's mother had been buried in the same type of casket (which at the time of her death retailed at $ 8,000).

Copper deposit caskets are often described as "copper lined caskets" - a description which is misleading because it misses the big differences in production methods, weight and price of solid copper caskets versus copper deposit caskets. Solid copper caskets are welded (or soldered) from sheets of wrought copper, while copper deposit caskets are made in a time consuming electrolytic process by which molecules of copper are deposited upon a casket form. This provides the casket with extra strength and a very smooth and untarnished surface without welding seams or burns. Copper deposit caskets ususally have a wall thickness of 1/8" (3mm - about twice as thick as 48oz copper sheets) resulting in an empty weight between 600 to 800 lbs, while solid copper caskets weigh between 200 and 300 lbs. Pricewise, the difference is even bigger, although it is difficult to talk in current prices because copper deposit caskets were manufactured in the US until the end of the 1970s only. At that time, the wholesale price of a copper deposit casket was between $ 5,000 and 6,000 (plus about 1,000 for an optional silver plated exterior), while 32 oz solid copper caskets were available from around $ 500 wholesale already. Thus, the price of a copper deposit casket was about a dozen times that of the lowest priced solid copper sheet casket. The high price (as well as the enormous weight) of copper deposit caskets was exceeded only by that of cast bronze caskets (coffins which are cast from molten bronze like bells; they cost three times as much as copper deposit caskets and have a weight between 1,000 and 1,200 lbs).

Copper deposit caskets were manufactured by two companies which are no longer in business, although they once were giants of the industry: the National casket company of Boston and the Boyertown Burial Casket Company. Both firms produced several copper deposit designs (and cast bronze caskets as well).The famous National seamless copper deposit caskets had no joints or welding seams nor did the attachments of the handles penetrate the casket walls. National copper deposit caskets (of different designs) were used for the funerals of many famous persons and celebrities other than just Elvis Presley, as for example of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst, and singer Aaliyah Haughton.

Answer 2

Elvis Presley was buried in a very rare copper deposit casket. His model No. 21200 was manufactured by the (former) National Casket Company of Boston. 20 years before, his mother had been buried in a casket of the same type.