Even thousands of years ago, you can find native copper in some places. If you’re lucky this isn’t that hard. Also, I’m not certain on the properties required, but I think you just need a decent conductor, not copper specifically. Copper is just conductive, pretty available, and easy to work with. Also, there are naturally forming magnets. You don’t need to make one.
Okay. Make a copper wire. Make a magnet.
Are you saying copper wire and magnets weren’t a thing 100 years ago? Ørsted discovered that electrical fields can affect a compass needle in 1820.
Even thousands of years ago, you can find native copper in some places. If you’re lucky this isn’t that hard. Also, I’m not certain on the properties required, but I think you just need a decent conductor, not copper specifically. Copper is just conductive, pretty available, and easy to work with. Also, there are naturally forming magnets. You don’t need to make one.