Re: Struck Coin Blanks ???

On 11/27/2024 3:29 PM, Joe Gwinn wrote:

On Wed, 27 Nov 2024 13:57:58 -0700, Bob La Londe <none@none.com99>
wrote:
 

Every since watching a woman dressed in pirate garb at a renaissance
fair (or faire if you prefer) place a blank in a set of dies and drop a
heavy weight on it to strike a souvenir coin I have had in the back of
my mind the idea to strike my own coins.  I can certainly make the dies.
  4140 is relatively easy to machine if you know how, and it will harden
"hard enough" for a low production number of from a few hundred to a
couple thousand coins.  I also keep a bit of O1 and W1 on hand for those
cutting tools I can't hand grind from HSS or carbide.  I even have a
propane forge in the back along with a toaster oven for tempering
(although it gets used more for powder coating).
>
I started writing with two questions in mind.
>
Where to buy/make coin blanks at the best price?  Not the 10-20 on Ebay
or Amazon, but a couple hundred to a couple thousand at a more
reasonable bulk price.

 Many country fair coins were made of soft aluminum.
 Maybe the brass sold for stamped dataplates or tags?
 .<https://identificationtags.com/product/brass-blank-round-tags-with-no-holes/>
 

That's not a bad start.  Unfortunately they also sell end product which usually means they don't sell for real wholesale pricing.  Its still a good idea.

Probably the alloy used for copper pennys can be got.

Getting actual penny copper is not a horrible idea.  I could certainly do some experiments by going through my change bowl and sorting out the older real copper pennies to be restamped.  I suppose the zinc pennies stamp okay, but they may not re-stamp okay.  My end goal is mostly for a coin "about" the diameter and thickness of a regular classic silver dollar.
Casting copper from old pennies, motors, etc could also be an option, but that would make it a whole different class of project.  A time and money thing, and I don't mean the pennies.  Also, my little propane forge probably isn't up to melting enough copper to be worth while.  Its fine for one off heat treating projects, but probably not for casting any quantity.

Hobby stores may have coin-making supplies.

Hmmmmm... I suppose its worth a look to see if Michael's (are they still in business) or Hobby Lobby has anything.  At the very least I could read the packaging if they do to see if that generates an other leads.

Early Chinese coins were lost-wax cast from bronze.

I don't think casting is really the way I want to go.

 Joe

--
Bob La Londe
CNC Molds N Stuff
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