Prior to the modern era, coin dies were manufactured individually by hand by artisans known as engravers. In demanding times, … See more

Note about spelling
In the time of Samuel Pepys in the 17th century, the spelling "dye" was used, a spelling which … See more

During a typical production run, or coining process, (particularly when heavy presses are used for large production runs) a die is selected out of a group of several dies for the front and another die is selected from a different group of dies for the back of the coin to be made. … See more

The terminal die state, as the name would seem to indicate, is the last state in which any die is used. This is the state of a die that is starting to … See more

Medieval engravers were guild members who created coins.
The vast majority of medieval coins were cold struck; the planchets were not heated. While … See more

On the edge of the US dime, quarter and half dollar, and many world coins there are ridges, similar to knurling, called reeds. Some older US coins, and many world coins have other designs on the edge of the coin. Sometimes these are simple designs like vines, … See more

In modern presses, a die strikes approximately 120 coins a minute. This rapid coining causes wear on the dies. Nickel alloys are … See more