How Are Coins Produced?
Posted by Derek Sawchenko on
Have you ever thought about how coins are produced? The United States Mint designs and produces coins. The U.S. Mint operates under the United States Department of Treasury; there are various sites around the U.S. such as the Denver Mint and Philadelphia Mint. A coin is first designed by drawing. After the design is approved, the design is sent to a U.S. Mint sculptor-engraver. The sculptor-engraver uses both traditional and digital tools to create a model of the coin. The finished model is checked for any imperfections. It is then imputed into a database of coins. At this point, the coin is ready to be manufactured. The design is read by a machine; the machine produces a hub with precision and accuracy. A hub is then sent to the die shop where it is struck with the design and inscriptions. Coins must pass inspection in order before being released into circulation.