Subject: WANTED: Info on MINTING COINS, ancient, modern, whatever...

From: [email-masked] (Robert Holder)
Date: Tue, 2 Nov 1993 18:12:01 GMT

Hello!  It's very interesting reading this newsgroup!

My experience with metal working has been making small
(2-4") sculptures with a propylene (sp?) hand torch,
soda pop cans, post 1984 pennies (mostly zinc) and
bits of broken glass.  It was very interesting trying
to get the different materials to "lock" together,
especially the glass, which shatters unless it is kept
uniformly above a certain temperature....

Incidentally, if you try this on your porch (like I did!)
don't do it on the bare concrete, because the concrete
will bubble up, and even explode in your face!  I was
lucky, and did the rest of the pieces on a big steel
plate...

BUT HERE'S MY QUERY:

I am interested in coins, primarily ancient greek.  I am very
interested in traditional minting methods, die-making methods,
assaying, refining you name it, from the first Lydian and
Croesus Mints up to the clad coins we have today which have
layers that are exploded together.

Unfortunately, books on this subject are very rare and
expensive.  So far, the examples I've seen have been in
Numismatic auctions, and are often in German, which I can't
read...  I figured you all might have access to all kinds of
great metalworking book catalogs or what-have-you... can you
help?

Also, I am interested in making my own dies and coins as
artistic pieces.  Any info on contemporary methods for the
hobbyist, and contemporary duplication of older traditional
methods for the hobbyist would be greatly appreciated.

thank you all for your time,

robert holder

---

From: [email-masked] (bill nelson)
Date: Wed, 3 Nov 1993 05:25:26 GMT

[email-masked] (Robert Holder) writes:
: 
: Unfortunately, books on this subject are very rare and
: expensive.  So far, the examples I've seen have been in
: Numismatic auctions, and are often in German, which I can't
: read...  I figured you all might have access to all kinds of
: great metalworking book catalogs or what-have-you... can you
: help?
: 
: Also, I am interested in making my own dies and coins as
: artistic pieces.  Any info on contemporary methods for the
: hobbyist, and contemporary duplication of older traditional
: methods for the hobbyist would be greatly appreciated.

Is there a local Society for Creative Anachronism group in
your area? The SCA has a minter's guild that is quite active.

Bill