Will a copper anode and hydride ion cell work?
TL;DR - What you know from the activity series of metals is still true. You made a mistake in your interpretation of standard electrode potential. The rationale follows:


Standard electrode potentials are written in the reduction direction:

$$\ce{M}^{x+} + x\ce{e- -&gt; M(s)}$$

Standard electrode potentials are measured against the standard hydrogen electrode:

$$\ce{2H+ + 2e- -&gt; H2(g)}$$

Thus for the $\ce{Cu(s)|Cu^{2+}}$ electrode, $E^\circ$ is defined for the followed redox reaction (everything at 1 molar, 1 bar, and in standard states):

$$\ce{Cu^2+ + H2 -&gt; Cu(s) + 2H+}\ \ \ E^\circ = +0.34$$

For the oxidation of copper with acid, the electrode potential would be negative in the direction you wrote it, which translates to a positive $\Delta G^\circ$, since:
$$\Delta G^\circ = - nFE^\circ$$