The Minting of a Coin

Blanking:

The nickel strip is fed into a press, and blanks the size of a finishedcoin are punched from the strip.

Rimming:

The blank edges are then raised or rimmed. This allows the coin to be stackedand reduces wear on the coin faces during use.

Annealing:

The blank is heated to about 930°C (1700°F) and then re-cooled.This causes the metal to soften so that a clear and distinct impressionis made on the coin faces in the coining operation.

Acid Wash:

The above processes cause the faces of the blank to discolour. This discolorationis removed by washing the blanks in an acid solution.

Coining:

The final step of the process is impressing the face of the coin on theblank. The blank is placed between two dies, each having one of the coinfaces engraved on it. By putting high pressure on the dies, the coin facesare impressed on the blank.