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What are coin blanks?
| Of all the items that we use the most, coins will rank pretty high on the list. Rattling around in wallets, purses, pockets and the like across the globe, coins play an undoubtedly huge role in every type of currency. Despite their commonplace within society, many will be unfamiliar with the production process that goes into producing that two-pound coin. It may be assumed that coins are produced in a molding process in which metal is melted and poured into a mold to produce the end product. However, this isn't that case coin blanks are used instead. But what are coin blanks? Coin blanks are simply disc shaped pieces of metal. During the production process, a strip of alloy metal usually consisting of materials such as silver, gold, platinum and palladium will go through a machine that firstly flattens the metal; then once thin enough, another machine will subsequently punch a number of coin blanks from each strip. From this point, the coin blanks, in many cases, will go through an upsetting mill. It's this process that raises the edges of the coin blanks turning it into what is commonly referred to as a planchet. However, some blank coins won't undergo this process and therefore the edge will remain non-raised. These coin blanks will then be cleaned up to ensure that any blemishes are removed before the final coin is produced. To give the coin blanks a final design, a pair of dies featuring the desired image will strike down applying a pressure measuring around 60 tonnes, transforming the once blank coins into coins at an incredibly quick rate in some cases of speeds up to 850 coins per minute. Pre-made coin blanks can be, as previously mentioned, can be bought in at huge volumes. Subsequently they can then undergo the final process of being struck between the dies elsewhere. This makes the production process of the final product much easier and less time consuming with half of the process being removed. Buying in a bulk of coin blanks from a manufacturer in advance can be extremely useful as it offers a number of customisation options. Many manufacturers can customise the coin blanks to a very complex specification. This can range from or include the size of the coin blanks, the types of alloy used in the production of the coin blanks, the shape of the coin blanks and also whether they are rimmed or unrimmed. Consulting a manufacturer of coin blanks can be especially useful in the production of ornamental coins especially when commemorating some kind of landmark occasion. As environmental issues continue to be put under the spotlight, many manufacturers of coin blanks will also only produce theirs from metals that have undergone a rigorous selection process, one that ensures only recycled metals that haven't been mined are chosen. It's this factor that now makes it possible for the environmentally conscious to produce coins safe in the knowledge that they aren't causing any more damage to the planet. |
About the Author
Adam Hunter - E-commerce Marketing Manager of cooksongold.com.
Cookson Coin Blanks is part of the Cookson Precious Metals Division, supplying jewellery industry with fabricated precious metals, coin blanks and silver blanks.
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