Coinage: the history and characteristics of the process

The article describes what coin chasing is, what equipment is used, and also 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, or rather their bars (similarly called "hryvnia" and used in Russia), wire or just pieces performed in their role. But, soon they were replaced by coins, with a fixed weight and, as a consequence, nominal value. They were also made of precious metal, and coinage was an invariable attribute of every strong state. Naturally, the appearance of coins varied greatly, depending on the country or region.

Nowadays

And with the advent of paper money into our lives, coins were not squeezed out of circulation. However, almost all over the world they are now made of ordinary iron or an alloy of non-ferrous metals.

The state mints are engaged in such a process, as coining of coins in Russia . The appearance of coins always depended directly not only on the era, but also on the political order in the country. Representatives of different political regimes in the course of history introduced their own banknotes with the corresponding attributes. But, in addition to a purely practical production, there is another kind, which has an important cultural and historical significance - the coining of souvenir coins.

Often, they include jubilee ones, which are also operating banknotes, but differ from others in engraving or form. Most often their release is confined to some historical event in the world or the country. A souvenir, the value as such, have only as a collection of exhibits. But sometimes they are made from precious metals, such as silver or gold. Pay them in the store of course will not work, but you can, if you want, exchange them in a bank for an equivalent price or sell them in a pawnshop.

Now, by the way, private companies have also started making souvenir coins. The range of their services is very wide, starting with the drawing up of a unique sketch, ending with a direct transfer to the workpiece. The material can also be selected.

Manufacturing

In fact, the term "coinage" is not entirely true. So called the process of transferring the image to the workpiece by hitting the hammer. But this method is ineffective in industrial production and is suitable only for making small money. In addition, the image often turned out to be blurry.

Now, when making coins, so-called priming (application to ribs of strips) and embossing are used, when the necessary drawing is transferred by means of the press to the workpiece.

Initially, in the Middle Ages screw presses were used, when by means of the rotation of the levers and the embossing took place, but the process is long, and for industrial manufacture of coins is not suitable.

But at the beginning of the 19th century an engineer for Nevedomsky in St. Petersburg created a machine for minting with a cranked lever. Its productivity was about 70 coins per minute, which was more suitable for streaming money production.

Coinage. Industrial and amateur equipment

To put it simply, industrial equipment is the same press, but with a high degree of automation. In his work, the main criteria are the high speed of work and the absence of marriage.

Amateur equipment is a compact device, which has much lower performance. But the image quality is given paramount importance. Such machines offer a lot of companies, so anyone can set up production of their souvenir coins.

True, we should not forget that forging of operating banknotes is punishable by law.