DIY coining, dies for hand-stamping small coins.

In case there are people who would like to strike their own coins from their own nuggets or buttons, I can make pile-trussel pairs designed for 1/20 ounce (1.55 gram) gold pieces emulating the St. Gaudens design.

Perhaps some people noticed a few years back when there were big magazine ads selling what looked like a St Gauden's gold piece for just $50? What they didn't say very clearly was that the piece was TINY... about 3/8" across. I managed to obtain the original hubs used to make the dies for that private issue! So it is possible for me to make extremely detailed and precise copies of that die. I could also add a unique mint-mark and-or date to each die-set so that they are unique.

For hand-hammering both the pile (bottom) and trussel (top) would be 4" long... turned out of 3/4" diameter W1 tool steel, hardened and tempered. You'd set the pile into a drilled hole in a stump, or just held in a tout vise... place your gold button on top... center the trussel... and give it a whack with a hammer. This is such a tiny coin that it would probably only need about a 2 pound hammer. I am thinking uncollared broadstruck here... but it would also be possible to make a collar-sleeve to slip over the pile to actually raise a rim... that would be more of course.

Would anybody be interested in something like that? Of course, they are not going to specify weight or purity... that would be up to the maker to measure and make whatever claims are appropriate. It would be a bit thin, but would probably work on a .77 gram planchet... which would make the $20 face value just about right in terms of actual bullion value.

I'm going to go ahead and make a couple sets so I can show what they'll look like and test them out in use.

Tom

Sign me up! I would love to be able to make something unique from my gold buttons.

Hi Rag and Bone:

Okay, Looks like this will work. I've got one set made but not heat-treated yet. I kinda buggered the obverse side getting the date on... (even my smallest letter stamps look huge on this die) looks okay superficially but when you put the lens to it it has a couple extraneous lines. I'll make some more... may have to go to the pantograph to add lettering. I hand-engraved a small "S" mintmark into the sun at the bottom of the reverse side. I'll post pics as soon as I get it heat-treated and do a trial strike off it.

Do you have a preference for a mintmark? Since you're the first to step up to the plate you have first dibs. The idea is to make every set uniqe.... it could be subtle as in a simple pattern of dots inserted into the design somewhere... or obvious and overt, as in letters and numbers. I'll keep trial strikes from each set as a master collection... could publish the known types.

Do you want a date on it or leave that blank?

Par value on the pile-trussel pair is $200. Paypal is okay, but barter is more fun.

Alright! This is all new to me and I'm not mechanically gifted so bare with me. What equipment would I need? Just a vice and hammer?

A date, 2008, would be good.

I'm not sure about the mint mark, I'll think about it and get back to ya.


I'd be happy to barter. Silver, gold, copper and old cpus are in stock. Paypal is fine too.

Thanks Tom :!:

Please PM me with price details! I am very interested!

Thanks, Ray

I have two sets in the furnace right now austenitizing. Both are dated 2008 on the obverse side. One is mintmarked "A", and one is mintmarked "S" on the reverse side at the bottom center... very tiny.

Trial strikes were done on 24k gold buttons (cut from a Maple Leaf) weighing 1.55 to 1.60 grams each, melted into a little round button in a graphite cricible and then flattened to about the diameter of the die before striking.

Okay, here are the two parts of Die pair #1
[img:640:480]http://www.shirepost.com/SG_DiePairOne_Faces.jpg[/img]
[img:640:480]http://www.shirepost.com/SG_DiePairOne_Shanks.jpg[/img]

And the trial strike from that pair:
[img:640:480]http://www.shirepost.com/SG_DieOne_Obverse.jpg[/img]
[img:640:480]http://www.shirepost.com/SG_DieOne_Reverse.jpg[/img]
Note the large date the absence of a mintmark There is actually an "S" mintmark at the very bottom of the reverse die, but it is small and positioned low and apparently did not strike up on this example.

here are the two parts of Die pair #2
[img:640:480]http://www.shirepost.com/SG_DiePairTwo_Faces.jpg[/img]
[img:640:480]http://www.shirepost.com/SG_DiePairTwo_Shanks.jpg[/img]

And the trial strike from that pair:
[img:640:480]http://www.shirepost.com/SG_DieTwbverse.jpg[/img]
[img:640:480]http://www.shirepost.com/SG_DieTwo_Reverse.jpg[/img]
Note the smaller date and the "A" mintmark at bottom on reverse. There's a large "ding" on the obverse side... that's not on the die... just on the coin.

I had one die held in a vise, and the other manually positioned. I struck a fairly heavy blow with a short-handled 8 pound hammer.

So anyway... that's what they look like! Both those die pairs are available. Take your pick.

I can make more.

Busmike said:

Very interesting! Have you ever tried making your own dies? Also, You might want to try using a hydrolic jack instead of a hammer. You'll get better definition and a more even strike.
I'm new to all this, but the more I see here, the more I want to learn! Perhaps someday I'll be able to do this too!

Click to expand...

The reason I'm setting these up to be struck with a hammer is to make it accessible to people that don't have a lot of equipment and don't want to bother with getting that deeply into it. In my own shop I use preses of various kinds... screw, percussion, knuckle, and hydraulic. Here's a page showing what my workshop looks like.
http://www.shirepost.com/ShopTour.html
I've made hundreds of dies.... mostly fantasy designs. You're right that a press will give you better control... the little hydraulic jack presses are pretty iffy though... a screw press is much better.

Are you still making these dies? I see your online store is closed. Also, I never seen mention of a price. I wonder how these dies are made. (CNC, EDM, hand engraved or stamped then hardened?)

If you read this you can either post a reply or PM me directly with a price. Thanks.

Yes I am still making these dies, they are $200 per set. They are hobbed (pressed) from the original hubs made using an Augenstein reducing lathe from an original coin. The detail is very crisp, even under a loupe. Let me know what you think.

Tom

I'm looking forward to getting the dies and wondering what size the blanks would be in case I got a chance to make a punch and die to stamp out some blanks. Some mini coins of this design that I have measure a little over 0.400" but they have ridges on the outside. 3/8" should be much easier to come up with since I expect I could cut off an endmill to get the punch out of carbide or hss. The die would be a little more difficult but should be possible out of some type of tool steel turned and bored and then put in a holder.

Maybe just melting a bead and smashing it flat would be easier but I expect the round blanks would be quicker and probably make a nicer coin.

Yes a blank of 3/8" (0.375") would be about right. It is not critical as the blank will spread a bit under the force of striking. There should be a little clearance between the blanking punch and die... like... at least .005" and up to .015 for thicker stock. I like to query local job shops doing work with copper and find some that have blanks (punchouts) as scrap from their operations! 3/8" is a very common size. If you look around on ebay you may find a Whitney punch that would work for you. I may even have some 3/8 blanking punch sets sitting around here.

Thanks for the quick shipping and the great dies. I've only tested them so far on some lead with a light claw hammer and although my alignment needs some work and lead is pretty soft, it did show quite a bit of detail.

I see I got number one die set and it is as detailed as stated even with a magnifier. I can't wait to try it out with a little sterling silver then some .999 silver. Once I get good enough at it I will try some gold. I have more ideas and plans than I have free time right now but someday I'll get time to play with my toys and this one is on the list.

Hi Bmgold!

Glad to hear everything made it there okay! They're hardened steel so should last a long time, as long as they don't hit each other!

Die set #2 is still here and available....

Tom,

Would you make me a stamp with just the obverse, no date?
4' long or so?

Thanks!!

Okay, that would be $100 plus $5 Priority mail shipping.

Tom,

You have PM

tmaring said:

Okay, that would be $100 plus $5 Priority mail shipping.

Click to expand...

Misanthope,

You won't be dissapointed with the die. The detail is real good. Make sure you use a heavy hammer. I tried mine with a little bead of melted sterling silver using about a 2 pound hammer and it worked but would have been better with a bigger hammer.

I'm real happy with my set and I expect you will be too. Good luck.

For anyone interested in making their own coins and/or getting the nicely made dies from this post I have just got a copy of a great book.

The book is: Numismatic Forgery by Charles M. Larson

It shows many ways that coins are forged but it should also be of use to anyone wanting to make their own unique coins or tokens from their recovered gold or silver.

I don't have a link to where the book was purchased but a quick google search would find it from amazon, ebay or any number of coin collecting supply sites.

EDIT: The site was: http://www.brent-krueger.com/ and the price was $16.11 Amazon probably has it cheaper but I was ordering other coin collecting supplies at the same time. Also got the video of the same name and got to see a lecture by the author. Not exactly what I hoped for but it was still a good addition to the book.

hi-

Im looking for a nice stamp for silver bars made...

kev