Carving and Minting Custom Coins at Home! 

Brass and other non-ferrous metals react the opposite of steel/iron in a quench. It softens instead of hardens. Heat the brass up until a dull red and drop it into water. That will anneal the brass and make cutting easier. Once you get the blanks smooth you repeat the heat and quench. You'll get much crisper lines and less damage to your dies. Then you temper in about 300 degrees and let cool to harden/temper.

Years ago I went to my first Ren Faire, and there was a crew striking and selling bronze coins with designs you could choose from. They had removeable/ replaceable dies in a wooden block almost exactly like your setup. The force was applied by a steel weight that looked to be about three pounds dropped along a sort of guillotine frame thingy. The drop was about four feet. A home setup could be reduced to a heavy slug of steel dropped through a piece of PVC pipe that fits over the top die. No extra construction required!

Hi, I'm a member of the SCA, and I've been involved with a Guild that makes coins using techniques based on medieval methods. Engraving like this is one way of putting a pattern into the face of a die, but another useful method you might consider trying is using punches. You can make a huge variety of shapes, from simple geometric shapes like triangles, to complex ones like a fluer-de-lis, and as long as the punch is harder than the steel of the die the shape can be tapped into the die face with a fairly small hammer. For the coin blanks, I would suggest starting with sheets of whatever metal you want to strike (copper, brass, etc.) If the sheet is soft/annealed, you can cut out coin blanks with a good set of metal shears. Also, annealed coin blanks make for easier striking. Our guild was able to get good strikes in copper using a 5-8 lb. sledge hammer. Our go-to metal for coins, though, is pewter. It's dead-soft so it's much easier to strike, the scraps can easily be melted down and re-used since it has a low melting point (for awhile we melted our scrap pewter in an iron pot on a wood stove), and it is a pretty good simulation of silver.

mint is my fav flavour of coin

I have a 10 ton manual arbor press from harbor freight that could actually press the dies into the coins without relying on the hammer. You could most definitely get a smaller like 2 ton bench arbor press for cheaper and that could do all kinds of things that would replace the unreliable hits of a hammer. 👍 Thanks for the videos that I watch in my shop while I work!

I do Medieval coin striking, I use pewter for the coins cut from sheet (1mm) using a fly press and cutting dies (you could use a hydrolic press but it would be much slower) you could also use copper, aluminium or brass and then aneal it. I taper the bottom of the lower die and have a large log with a matching tappered hole drilled in it that the die sits in. The upper die is held in place with thick walled pipe of the right inside diameter to match the outside diameter of the dies. hope thats of use.

"Gyllene Hjorten", Sweden's first LARP group (this was back in the 80s...), minted their own coins. Copper, silver, and gold (in small and large, to make things easier). Yup, they were, and still are, worth real money... And they look amazing! The newly minted ones look shiny!

The classic "If it does not work, get a bigger hammer." it still might not work. But it does help relieve stress. 😁

For the block, I would suggest looking up medieval/renaissance coin smithing. I would explain, but what I saw was years ago so my memory isn’t good enough to give a good explanation. But I think they have what you may be looking for. Also, they used a sheet of metal and a punch to cut out the blanks. Almost like cutting out cookies if the dough was metal and the cookie cutter needed a hammer to get through. So nothing like cookies.

Build a drop hammer. Build a wooden frame to hold your base with the dies centered below a lifted weight that you can lift and drop directly on your coin blanks. Easy, inexpensive and repeatable. Charge others to use with a selection of dies they pick the two sides insert the blanks, lift and drop. They have their own coin.

the bandsaw you have is probably too fast, which is what chewed up the blades. Most metal bandsaws run WAY slower than the slowest speed on a wood bandsaw

I always wanted to try metal engraving and I think you have shown me a way I can now make my trademark press. My Bind-ruin

To make a keyed Block to put your dies in, use 1" ID steal pipe and cut a slot in it

I know it's not really the same, but you can buy blanks for engraving tools (? I don't know what the proper Word for "Stichel" is), which you then grind into the right shape for the intended use. Also, you can set Tools into a wooden handle by burning them in: drill a hole into the handle, that is a bit smaller than the Tang, then you best find something to _really_ securely hold the tool, heat the Tang to a dull glow, and then press the handle onto the Tang, so it burns the needed space into the wood. None of the Tools I've set this way got loose so far.

I totally want to make challenge coins for my D&D group to give as gifts when we finish our current campaign. It's been going for over 7 years.

3 minutes in, and Cl3ver just casually explained how to temper steel

Idea: Put the jig between a set of rails with a 10lb weight mounted to the rails and just drop it straight down.

I love this! The last coin episode was how I was introduced to Skill Tree.

You could almost run a second channel just focused on the tools you make yourself for these projects. 😁 Always fun to watch you figure this stuff out though and the coins look awesome.👌 Great video guys.

you could replace the block with a offcut of a thick steel pipe. should be plenty strong to handle couple sledge hammer blows

6:20 look up "poor man's mill". There is something like a double roller setup that you can set up that gives you the accuracy of what you just did, but allows the file teeth to roll instead of bite into the vice jaws and remove material over time.

If you make the die block out of plywood it should last longer & resist splitting. Facing it with thin sheet metal screwed in place would help hold it together too. Using an arbour press or hydraulic bottle jack instead of just bashing it with a big hammer will also make your rig last longer and be safer to use. (Less fun, though.) Love the coins!

The dragon has returned. I see coins, I click. I'm glad Maddie thought of keying the dies, that's something I've been puzzling over how to accomplish for a while. The problem now is that I have too many ongoing projects...

Madi will be so happy you've made more coins!! Detail is awesome.

Two blocks, each block holds one side of the die. Use rods in the blocks as guides to make sure it doesn't move. Use hammer to strike blocks.

For the channel to hold the minting blocks, 1" ID steel pipe with the channel cut into it, welded onto a metal plate with pieces on the bottom that match and fit your anvils hardy and pritchel holes with holes drilled through the bottoms to allow a metal rod through to lock it in place

Really cool stuff. Love your videos! Hope to see more metal work!

To hold your dies and coin id try a steel pipe with a slot cut in it for your dowel pins. Slip that pipe into a larger diameter pipe to prevent the smaller one from splitting open. And screw that pipe into a flush mount base. And use 4 screws to mount it to whatever you like. All can be found in the plumbing isle at your local hardware store.

Next up is to figure out how to use all the colors of the laser engraver

Tip for hand cutting: your hacksaw should be adjustable so you can turn it at least 45° to make it easier to cut like you were!

Thanks for this one. I was just thinking about doing this.

they look awsome, metal coins are so magical

Very cool projects, you could also look into a getting a (smallish) fly press, you could make an easy jig and would be infinitely easier and repeatable!

Advice: make the background for the number on the symbol on the bottom right lighter in color so that you can see the number better.

Out of everything I've seen you do this has to be one of the greatest

Oh man, great episode y'all!!

You might try a fly press or similar type of repeatable-strike tool.

Awesome !! Now for a future project you just needed to make a press

Really sad. The discord link is expired. I can't join.

Use a steel pipe instead of a wooden block to hold the dies in place when you strike them.

You culd make a dye cutter and make the coins from sheet metal.

Probably make the holder block out of cement?????😊keep up the great work ❤❤❤

For nonferrous metals some beeswax on the bandsaw blade should help keep it from clogging up and make them last longer!

As an idea for how to best stamp. I would make a deadfall. Basically the dies go in the middle of a frame. The frame has 2 or 4 pipes going up. Then you find a sleeve that will slide on the pipes and attach them to a plate. Then you can add anything for weight. You have a barbell use those. You set everything up and lift the plate over the dies. Then simply drop it. The pipes keep it on target.

Loved this video!! I have a request! I run an in-character space at a larp, and i think any ideas you have for ways to decorate a space in larp would be an amazing video!

For casting coins, lead free pewter amd high heat silicone.

A simple solution to keep your die guide from exploding would be a short piece of steel pipe an inch or so shorter then the overall length of your dies with the correct inside diameter and then cutting out a channel for your keyway. Also elevating the setup when you go to strike it will help eliminate your downward glancing blows, the optimal height would be around mid thigh height for your striking surface, much like if you were splitting firewood.

One other option for the hand carving tools is using 3mm nails. They can go through brass real well. Also, a deadblow hammer may be both easier and neater

The coin video is what pulled me to your channel

I believe that the historical way of making planchets is to cast them. Since you have a kiln, I can imagine that this is more feasible. And I believe that there was at least the variant where a long rod was attached to the tube into which the coin blank and the dies were inserted, which was then held by a second person. Thanks for this video, by the way. I've been playing with the ide to strike coins for larping for a long time, will probably use the knowledge from the video to try cutting seal dies and above all: instructions on how to build tools yourself are the best videos. You can't make it much easier for your audience to get started with a new technique.

Dude love the video , you should do some coins in a half dollar size. Keep it up man. And grace note forge made some mandalorian coins with lost wax casting so u could try to do that.

A fly press or hydraulic press would be fantastic for this.

TRF had a great coin mint demo. The only real difference is their hammer and anvil is set up like a guillotine so the hammer drops 20 feet, but it's also on rails so the block holding the coin and dies does not move. I can't recall what the block is made of, but I feel like it's wood? I don't know off hand. But if you get a chance, it's not the only medieval mint around but you could always check one out and refine yer technique. This was very cool, though. Nice gravers.

For your melting idea at the end I recommend 3d printing a tree of coins (for the branches to get to the coins) and sand cast the 3d print then fill the resulting sand cast

coins are awesome! I've been thinking on making ones out of super sculpey or some similar material, since one could strike them with easily made dies, such as 3d printed. adding some mica powder or such and bake them. not really metal, but might be an easy and fast way to make a lot.

Maybe you should look into a diy mini foundry and making your own Nordic Gold alloy for coins. And maybe nickel plating (haven’t you done that?) for silver coins.

15:45 There are little 40 pound / 18.1437 (roughly) Kg anvils you can buy. Have the mini anvil mounted on a corner of your bench and use a 5 pound handheld sledge with a steel plate for the backer. You can *really* crank out coins you've minted yourself if you have that kind of setup

A fly press or a hydraulic press would be awesome for the striking. And as someone else suggested, anneal the brass to make it soft and that will take the image much more easily. Great work though and i am very jealous of the laser engraver.

It'd be pretty darn expensive but you could try a screw press or hydraulic press like the small ones that use a car jack. Tho since the pressure it's a lot slower idk if It'd be more effective than the hammer but It'd at least be cleaner

In relation to the drill bits segment......you can't quench all steel in water as some steels can get stress fractures if cooled too fast. For the drill bit (unless you know the exact steel) you'd be best to quench in warm oil as it's not as fast as water in cooling down the steel and reduces the risk off stress fractures. Some stainless steels will only quench in air while others will only quench in water and then some will quench in oil. There are 3 main ways to quench metal each with various options, they are as follows: - "flowing" air from a fan.....very slow and only works on some steels - Oil.....not as slow as air but slower then water - Water....only good for some steels due to the rapid cooling Each method can be down hot or cold depending on the steel type and what you know about it....i.e hot oil or cold oil. If you are unsure on the exact type off steel your best to start with air and work your way threw to cold water testing after each quench to see if it hardened of not and moving to the next quench medium if it's still soft. Also, for a blacksmith there is not such thing as tool steel as we can make tools out off any steel. Most blacksmiths make their tongs out off mild/low carbon steel whilst spring makers will tend to make their tongs out off spring steel as it's what they have on hand. A hammer meant for forging hot metal can be softer then a hammer meant to drive a nail into wood and as such can be made from a metal that can't achieve as high of a Rockwell hardness.....I've made a hammer out off a forklift tine as it was more then capable off doing the job intended for that tool but it's too soft to drive nails into wood. Try using a car jack to press the coins in a die against a hard surface. This will also allow you to manage the pressure giving you the ability to make the imprint as deep or as shallow as you want.

Quench the brass to soften it. Also, for a mental holder you could just weld a piece of 1"ID pipe to whatever slot your anvil takes, usually a 1-2" square. You could always get a bored mechanic to do it for cheap if you don't have a welder. As for engraving metal, you should get "engineers blue" to make the indentations and scratches more obvious. It's a blue ink that you paint the metal with before marking out. Otherwise, this is a good vid.

You should look into metal casting. By far my favorite way to make coins. A bit labor intensive, but lots of fun. Edit: Oh, you *do* want to melt metal! Excellent. Be sure to wear PPE, there's lots of good tutorials out there.

I wonder if heating the brass before stamping would result in a cleaner transfer. 🤔

look up the medieval guillotine style coin press

portable bandsaw and bi-metal blades that what we use for knifemaking

Rather than spend all that time keeping your oven on just heat the middle of the drill and as it heats the colours will move up the shaft when the light straw gets to the end quench it job done

Cut your sledge handle shorter. Good it with the head about 2 - 3 inches above your hand. Mark the handle with in 3 inches of your elbow. You won't loose any practical force but will gain much more control when swinging

you could also make coins with metal clay, make a mold put the clay in it, after drying you fire it and you have a coin from metal

Instead of striking, try a small hydraulic press. It will apply a nice steady high pressure without the shock of needing to beat on it. Also, try something softer than brass. Brass is softer than steel but its still pretty hard. Maybe, if possible, bronze or even copper.

Next time try a something akin to a book press. It can put a lot of even pressure on the subject more accurately and repeatable.

You could try a hydrolic/hand press to avoid hitting the wooden block and keep the strain on the mint instead of the wood casing

I don’t know if it’s been suggested before, but it’d be really cool to see how to make your own leather boots, like from start to finish

I'm training as a jeweller so I have access to the blank engraving tool shapes.... If you'd like I can acquire some in different shapes and send them off to you!

skill tree is the best

Use a steel pipe with the proper inner diameter (in this case 1 inch) instead of a wood block. Then weld a square tube to the side with about 1.5 inches sticking below the bottom to fit in the hardy hole of your anvil, that will keep it in place and give you a firm striking platform so that you arent using the ground. If you are still wanting a key slot (which yeah, a smart move) then just cut a slot in the length of pipe and weld your square tube on the same side to strenghten the cut.

Clever, make a treadle hammer and use a 10 lb. hammer to fit over your anvil/ place onto your anvil stand. Also, please be careful about heating certian metal in enclosed spaces. There's a video called " what not to melt" on RU-vid that details fume hazards for metal workers. I recommend watching it.

Check Out the 8000 series of Locktite Adhesives: they're made to _replace welding_ when it's impossible! A tiny daub in the hole for stuff like your keyholes can ensure that they're permanently affixed, just in case they didn't fully lock in via deformation when peening them! NOTE: when hand drilling holes, they often come out conical in profile, so the effectiveness of peening can be reduced. In this case that's probably not an issue, but if you need high strength or high accuracy, it very much can be! 😅

Using a hydraulic press rather than a sledge hammer would give you more control. You could probably make one out of a cheap bottle jack.

You don't even need melted metal. Hot metal bends easier, so you can just heat the coin blanks.

Could you make interesting shapes for the coins? Like ovals or polygons of your choice?

you should use the hole the anvil has to hold the coins

did you anneal the "coin" blanks before stamping they would work better that way and you could also try this with a press instead of a hammer

Nice video! But wouldn't casting be easyer at that point? XD

You might try and 1 ton arbor press instead of a hammer only because you could controll things a little better and still use the tooling you have

Probably not the first person to suggest this, but you could use an arbor press to make these coins. You run a much smaller risk of blowing up your template or shattering your stamps.

I’m going to send you an E-mail on how you might improve the striking mechanism!

Have you thoughts about wax casting

Perhaps a wood block could still work (at least long enough to be worth building it) if a metal band (like the type that tighten with screws) was put around the outside of the block. If you haven't thrown away the pieces then maybe that and some wood glue could have you back in business. That or just wrap the outer edge in wire and then give it several wraps of duct tape. If medieval blacksmiths had access to those two things they would probably have been like us and used it for everything.

You actually want mineral oil over water, btw - you're less likely to get bubbles of steam that can burn you when quenching metals from high heats.

I half wander about a hydrallic press from harbor frieght.

With the lazer you can encrave tokens Crow can hand out that are 1use minor magical charms. Glad you worked it out and Fox didn't piss off Lady Crow 😊, have a good vacation.

Don't try to attach it to the anvil, find a way to attach it to the sledgehammer's head

If you either buy a hydraulic hand cranked press or build a Steele frame with a bottle jack the wood blocks could be used to hold the metal in place and then just use the metal pieces as load bearing surfaces and hydralicly mint your own coins or pendants etc.. its only your fantasy that makes the limits by then.. and i think we all know that it basicly means no limits att all 😂

Did you put oil on the wire was rotating

keeping it Diy you use a hack saw and vice and no expensive square to level up the steal stock as best you can, then you use at least a $2,400 to $10,000 laser to carve the image you saw in the video thumbnail. just wax carve them or 3d print them and cast your metal stamps, rather then cutting rod stock use plate for your blanks, if the metal is thin you could even cut it with shears or get pre cut metal strip cut it and round the squares. for a low amount depending on how many coins you need you could just cast them all directly if your not going for mass production.

making a die for the mint could also be done with some intense electro etching, which just takes salt water and electricity

Would this also work with copper?

why can't you anneal the staneless steel like you did the drill bit

Try HDPE, HIPS or ABS for your block

You need to look up superquench