How are gold and silver coins made?

Gold and silver coins go through many steps before the final product is completed. Coins tend to go through a more difficult process than bars, mostly because many coins’ designs have intricate details. This takes more time and also influences the collectibility of coins.

The first step of creating a coin is obtaining and refining the metal. This can come from mining, or recycled metals from jewelry, electronics, or other bullion products. Once sourced, it is taken to a refinery to remove any impurities and acquire the pure form of the precious metal. 

The refined metal is then heated to above its melting point and poured into tubes. The metal at this point is very hard, so it is reheated to be more malleable. Once malleable, the metal is sent through an extruder which turns the metal into long, thin sheets. The sheets are then rolled into coils, which can be cut into exact specification ‘blanks’ for coin minting.  

Once the blanks are polished, they can begin the minting process. The blank is placed in

a minting press between the top and bottom dies. The press closes on both sides of the blank, striking the design onto the metal. The coin is once more polished and checked for any imperfections before being packaged and shipped across the world.