How Coins Are Made
A coin is a metal or other material (rarely, but not always, wood) that has been stamped with an image and used as a medium of exchange. It usually has a value that is a multiple of a specific unit of currency, such as the quarter (worth one-quarter of a dollar), the dime (worth ten-thousandths of a dollar), and the gold coin of the realm (worth a king’s ransom). Some coins are also of historical interest; the images and words on them can tell us much about the civilizations that produced them.
Most circulating coins are made of alloys, or combinations of pure metals such as copper and zinc and silver and nickel. The alloys are melted in electric furnaces and poured into molds to form ingots. These ingots are then rolled to make long strips of the exact thickness needed for each coin, and then cut into circular discs called blanks. Higher-denomination coins are made from strips of cupronickel that are bonded, or clad, to pure copper. The blanks are then rolled into coins and the designs stamped onto them using dies. The coins are then milled, or reeded, to put the raised edge on them. The coins are then inspected, counted and weighed before being put into canvas bags and shipped to banks around the country.
Before a coin is made, a Mint artist draws a sketch of what it will look like. Then the artist uses this model to sculpt a 3-D clay or digital coin that will serve as the basis for the final coin. The sculpted coin is then transferred to a metal stamp, called a die, which will be used to stamp the design into the blank coins. The obverse and reverse images are then positioned on the blanks. If the obverse and the reverse are both right side up, they’re said to have medallic orientation, which is typical of the Euro and the pound sterling; if the obverse is right-side up and the reverse is upside down, then the coin has coin orientation, which is typical of the United States dollar.
Because they’re so widely used, coins need to be tough. Any material that would quickly become brittle or break easily is unsuitable. They also have to be hardy enough to withstand wear and tear. Even so, a coin may be damaged by handling too roughly or by being dropped, and the value of a rare or historic coin might decrease by being handled or displayed carelessly. Cleaning isn’t a good idea either; it may scratch or remove parts of the coin’s surface, or just wear away dirt and tarnish. In fact, a coin’s value is often enhanced by the wear and patina that give it its own unique character.