1. What was the exact process of striking hammered coins? Any noteworthy variations to the basic process?
a) Mount a lower die in a big block, usually wood. This die often has a spike for mounting underneath
b) Fix the upper die on a sturdy metal handle.
c) Hire a big brute with a hammer
d) WHAMM
variations: in Roman times, sometimes two brutes were working on the same pair of dies to increase speed, taking turns at giving a blow, while a third worker would put the planchets in place. The Romans also developed a sort of metal pincers for hammering coins. Presumably, these were for very small coins. In the middle ages. very thin coins were struck with the reverse being the obverse in incuse (bracteates). Some theorists believe that wooden dies were used for these coins. Others say that several coins were hammered at the same time.
2. What are the various methods of casting coins? What physical characteristics of a cast coin can allow one to tell the type of casting method used in it's manufacture?
I know of only one method. The following is based on Chinese production methods.
a) produce "mother" coin in hardened metal
b) press "mother" several times in malleable material, such as clay in two boxes. Make sure obverse fits reverse.
c) draw main channel and side channels from each impression to main channel
d) fix mould halves together
e) pour in molten metal, making sure that air can escape (tricky!)
f) let metal cool
g) break mould, break coins from money tree
h) file away parts of channel sticking to coin (square holes help to mount coins on stick, so that several can be files at once)
Variation: forgers would sometimes cast their imitations in sand, each side separately, fix the two halves together and file the edge. AFAIK this method was never used for official coins.
3. What physical characteristics, if any, allow us to distinguish a struck coin from a cast one?
The famous
"ping" test.
I would greatly appreciate detailed answers, with images if possible. Links to sites giving information on the above/reference books would also be very useful.
Thomas W. Becker:
The Coin makersPeter