The article tells about what coin minting is, what equipment is used for this, and also touches on the issue of making souvenir coins.
Ancient times
Since time immemorial, people have been engaged in trade, during which the need arose to create a universal exchange equivalent - money. Initially, precious metals acted in their role, or rather, their whetstones (similar were called "hryvnias" and were used in Russia), wire or just pieces. But, soon they were replaced by coins with a fixed weight and, as a consequence, denomination. They were also made of precious metal, and coinage was an invariable attribute of every strong state. Naturally, the appearance of the coins varied greatly, depending on the country or region.
Nowadays
And with the advent of paper money in our lives, coins were not forced out of circulation. However, almost all over the world they are now made from ordinary iron or an alloy of non-ferrous metals.
Such a process as minting coins in Russia is done by the State Mints. The appearance of the coins has always directly depended not only on the era, but also on the political system in the country. Representatives of various political regimes in the course of history introduced their banknotes with the corresponding attributes. But, in addition to purely practical production, there is another species that has important cultural and historical significance - this is the minting of souvenir coins.
Often, they include jubilee ones, which are also valid banknotes, but differ from the rest in engraving or shape. Most often, their release is timed to some historical event in the world or country. And souvenir ones, as such, have value only as collectible exhibits. But sometimes they are also made from precious metals such as silver or gold. Paying them in the store certainly will not work, but they can, if desired, be exchanged at the bank for an equivalent value or sold at a pawnshop.
Now, by the way, private firms have also begun manufacturing souvenir coins. The range of their services is very wide, from the preparation of a unique sketch to the direct transfer to the workpiece. Material can also be selected.
Manufacture
In fact, the term “coin minting" is not entirely correct. So called the process of transferring the image to the workpiece by hammer blow. But this method is inefficient in industrial production and is suitable only for making small money. In addition, the image often turned out blurry.
Now, in the manufacture of coins, the so-called priming (applying strips to the edges) and embossing are used, when the necessary pattern is transferred to the workpiece using the press.
Initially, screw presses were used in the Middle Ages, when embossing took place through the rotation of levers, but this process is long and is not suitable for the industrial production of coins.
But at the beginning of the 19th century, an engineer Nevedomsky in St. Petersburg created a coinage machine with a cranked lever. Its productivity was approximately 70 coins per minute, which was more suitable for streaming money production.
Chasing coins. Industrial and amateur equipment
Simply put, industrial equipment is the same press, but with a high degree of automation. In his work, the main criteria are high speed and lack of marriage.
Amateur equipment is a compact device, whose performance is much lower. But image quality is of utmost importance. Similar devices are offered by many companies, so anyone can arrange the production of their souvenir coins.
True, do not forget that the falsification of existing banknotes is prosecuted by law.