Homemade Coin Dies. Making a New Currency!

This one I attempt to make a coin from start to finish. I’m trying to make my own currency. Each coin I say is going to be worth US$10,000.That’s How fiat money works you just say the value and that’s what it is. I’m doing my best to make homemade queen die. The coin stamp is made out of scrap metal. The coin is made out of Nordic gold 

[@TheOneAndOnlyStuart]

Dude, I love that you showed all the mistakes you made. You documented your process and had great results. That’s honestly really inspiring and it makes it relatable.

[@CONEHEADDK]

I'd look into the law - you might be in deeep sh*t...

[@LegacyStacker]

Hi TheOneAndOnlyStuart! Yes, it's also amazing how close he came to making those quarters at a first attempt! Nice! 😎

[@RoganBits]

Same; that's those are the parts I liked the most. It was top 5 youtube videos I've ever watched because of that.

[@christianweatherbroadcasting]

Jesus is the only way. We have all sinned and deserve Hell. Sins that may seem small in our eyes are big in God's and are worthy of Hell, such as lying lusting and stealing. But if we repent and trust only in Jesus, he is faithful and will save us from Hell and give us eternal life in Heaven. Trust in Jesus! John 3:16 Romans 6:23❤❤

[@m-fav8024]

Here also rookies, enjoy how you show everything including mistakes as well as first time. Thank you.

[@christianweatherbroadcasting]

Jesus is the only way. We have all sinned and deserve Hell. Sins that may seem small in our eyes are big in God's and are worthy of Hell, such as lying lusting and stealing. But if we repent and trust only in Jesus, he is faithful and will save us from Hell and give us eternal life in Heaven. Trust in Jesus! John 3:16 Romans 6:23❤😊❤

[@DadBodDrumming]

Fun fact: The first coins minted were done almost exactly like you did it. Only difference is that the head/ tail images were carved into the end of the hammer. So the hit on the blank transfered the image from the hammer to the face. Then it was flipped and struck with a tails image hammer. This is why really old coins are usually have an off center image. And its alos why we say coins are 'struck' when they are minted. As the first one actually were struck.. with a hammer.

[@christianweatherbroadcasting]

Jesus is the only way. We have all sinned and deserve Hell. Sins that may seem small in our eyes are big in God's and are worthy of Hell, such as lying lusting and stealing. But if we repent and trust only in Jesus, he is faithful and will save us from Hell and give us eternal life in Heaven. Trust in Jesus! John 3:16 Romans 6:23❤😊❤😊❤

[@WoahthereIan]

@@christianweatherbroadcastingwill Jesus make me a custom hammer for striking coins?

[@Haiamksadfkasf]

@@WoahthereIanyes, yes he will as long as you belive

[@michael-1680]

Lucas, the way you're doing this (manual striking with hammers) is exactly the way the Spanish minted coins when they came to the New World. The Spanish Milled Dollars ("pieces of eight") found in Spanish shipwrecks of the period were produced in exactly this way. And honestly, yours look better...

[@lundgrenbronzestudios]

I actually just bought material to try this again.

[@mumbo1956]

Now we know why and how early coins were so much more uneven. These are terrific coins. Just found your videos… enjoying your process.

[@christianweatherbroadcasting]

Jesus is the only way. We have all sinned and deserve Hell. Sins that may seem small in our eyes are big in God's and are worthy of Hell, such as lying lusting and stealing. But if we repent and trust only in Jesus, he is faithful and will save us from Hell and give us eternal life in Heaven. Trust in Jesus! John 3:16 Romans 6:23❤😊❤😊❤

[@Vicky-fl7pv]

Instead of casting blank coins, can you cast a solid pipe/cylinder of desired diameter? Then cut that into desired thickness, and use them as blank coins.

[@RoganBits]

This might be my favorite KZbin video ever. I actually enjoyed the parts you messed up the most, because then you turn around and showed us how you fixed it. The concrete exploding was wild; I had no idea.

[@GreenWonder09]

Pretty good results for a makeshift mint press. If you make your engravings shallower the detail will come out more, otherwise you will need to use some sort of press. Also, might be easier to just get a flat piece of sheet metal of the metal you want to use and stamp out the blanks. Casting works but seemed like so much more work haha.

[@cameronmccreary4758]

I have investigated the modern process of vapor deposition of tool steel onto the surface of a "medal/coin" with a powdered carbon graphite micro layer saving it's surface and allowing the die after vapor deposition to fall free. It would leave the information in reverse reading into a 5mm wafer which would be induction welded onto the die proper and then heat treated for durability. This would be done in a vacuum furnace to maintain the "coin's/medal's features. Lastly the die would be diamond polished. I was a miniature machinist much of my life; I am currently disabled from getting hit by an SUV while crossing the street in the crosswalk. It would be interesting to try this method. This method here looks like the Roman method; not bad. I noticed the bear die is deep however the coin/medal is barely impressed which indicates the need for some serious tonnage. I estimate 100 tons at least for that large bear coin medal made from bronze.

[@kathleenlundgren6450]

It’s funny. When you put 2021 on the die, I thought aren’t the numbers going to be backwards on the coin? Sure enough. That’s part of the fun of watching your videos.

[@greenrena8503]

A little trick that engravers use is to print the wanted motive mirrored onto a piece of paper, put it face down onto the workpiece, fix it with a little bit of tape and carefully brush it with aceton. Dosn't work with every printer or ink but if it workes you tranfer the ink from the paper onto the metal.

[@leonidvelocci8957]

Thank you for sharing this wonderful video.

[@timeverhartofficial]

if you due this agian use round bar stock alot cleaner and using a 10-20 ton press would make for cleaner press. ty for this video plan on using this to make copper and silver and gold coins.

[@castingtechnology3338]

This is a great first try! I think thinner, annealed metal might get you a better result.

[@gamingchinchilla7323]

For me: oven bake clay, toothpicks, wooden skewers, sand paper, embossing styluses, sandpape, high heat resistant mold solution, pewter ingots, solder melting pot, metal dipping ladle a lot or practice, patience, and failed pieces. I'm getting pretty dang close to roman era style coins myself. Nice video and nice effort btw :)

[@raysutton8195]

This is how you make a DYI video. Honest educational, with warts and all. Good on you, Sr. 👏

[@TiffanysTechniques]

Great video. Being able to show mistakes and learn from them is how it should be done

[@SaintDomenic]

to improve your setup...secure your wood log down to something...and build a vertical channel track for your sludge hammer to run along until it meets the coin. these two things should help a lot...you are losing impact power by the log bouncing off the ground...and also losing precision when the swing doesn't hit it directly head on

[@darrinwebber4077]

Also... You need a tight fit for the dies and blanks whe you put into the collar. To keep dies and blanks from sliding and moving while in the collar. * Secure the collar in place. * insert reverse die. * insert blank. * insert obverse die. Then STRIKE. Very good video. Excellent first attempt.

[@darensworld2221]

That was awesome. I was surprised how much of the quarters detail came through on your pour. I've put thought into getting a press for making coins but it is a pretty expensive and large piece of equipment.

[@LegacyStacker]

Hi Lundgren Bronze Studios! Nice video! Interesting idea! I just subscribed to your channel! 😎

[@johnbarryheath8962]

Get a hand pumped hydrolic press. Find out how many tons gold needs to be reformed and then slowly pump up the pressure. The less grinding, sanding and polishing you do the less gold you'll lose.

[@FrostbyteCoins]

I really enjoyed watching this video, you showed all your steps, mistakes and all, this really allows someone to get exactly what you did. Bravo

[@lundgrenbronzestudios]

I do me best to show the journey.

[@Mbonner73]

After heating the blanks up in the furnace, you might try using a press with a bottle jack set up to compress the dies

[@lundgrenbronzestudios]

I’ll have to give it a try.

[@joatmofa0405]

I *ENJOYED* watching your video - excellent entertainment!

[@theswordoftruth6509]

Brilliant Vid! Awesome Job demonstrating!

[@scottadler]

Use a much softer metal. Try silver or pure copper. And thanks for showing us your bloopers. They were fun to watch.

[@starflower2583]

I like the way the gold that didn't cast right came out. Looks like an abstract sculpture.

[@kmz2023]

those quarters look so real you might get in trouble

[@PaulPredicts]

Great work, mate. Thank you very much for sharing!

[@OeTrim]

I absolutely loved this video. It’s the first thing I’ve ever watched on coin making and I am extremely happy for it. Thank you.

[@RabbitxRabbit]

Do you think it would turn out better if you used a hydraulic press?

[@michaelpaul721]

Great video. Learned alot . Thanks for showing all of the lessons

[@plankman6408]

Cool video! Watching you struggle with the process was really enlightening. Thanks for letting us see.

[@rufus-h4h]

Very interesting video. Thanks.

[@damianjblack]

This is incredibly cool! I've been a coin collector most of my life and I love seeing the process in action.

[@SubvertTheState]

Pretty cool, that was all from junk lying around. I almost thought you were using gold for a while and started crying when you took it to the grinder, i looked up Nordic gold though haha.

[@Giannis_Sarafis]

Oh yeah. Great video. I live in Greece, I was always wondered how coins were made. I've seen a few ancient tools in museums, but never have I seen it live. Another easier thing you could try, is coins from tin. In late 1800's due to the lack of change in Ottoman empire, Greeks found a cheap way to make small coins for use between them (in church, grocery stores etc). They were taking thin metal tin containers, cutting round pieces using a punch and then do the same process as you did. It was easier, because they didn't have to mold, smelt etc. If the tin was thin, they struck only one side, if it was a little thicker, both of them. You should try it. I have bought a few old coins like them and they are pretty good and quite rare.

[@codytradingcompany7798]

Fantastic job. One tip you do not want to strike a hardened surface with another hardened surface… For example hitting a hammer with a hammer. Counterintuitive but the harder something is does not mean it’s indestructible. A chip could come off and go flying. I can’t wait to see your other videos looks like you do some great work though.

[@stevestokes4206]

I'm pretty sure that thing is called a padeye. You weld it to a structure so you can use a crane etc. To move the structure. Nice video.

[@RockyMountainBear]

Well done! I love those coins! BTW you don't need to heat up the blanks so much. They are at their softest point after pouring them. Since you had to sand them, you basically work hardened them. So, it was a good idea to heat them up again to anneal (soften) them before stamping, but they don't need to be hot like that while you stamp. The metal stays soft, even after they cool down, until you do something to work harden them again. Nonferrous metals react to heat & cold differently than steel. I really enjoyed this video. You definitely got my sub.

[@lundgrenbronzestudios]

Thank you!

[@TimTim11111111]

Love the project. Your artwork/ hand with the dremel is impressive to say the least. I think a press would do great for this, and maybe using the die somehow to shape your casting taking advantage of the petrabonds ability to transfer detail and also to ease the dies job. Just need to devise a good way to line up the die with the casting. Anyway, take my musings with a grain of salt. Awesome work, i hope your skills serve you well.

[@traderzrlt4233]

I think if you are making them for detail you should sand cast instead of hammering because those US prints on the first coins was excellent. I'm interested in gold so you have helped me in my gold journey. Thanks bro

[@spagsunfiltered]

This may be the coolest video I have watched today. I have been watching smelting videos for years and just now found you. Have you played with this more to perfect the technique?

[@cindylundgren1105]

So many details and steps to follow and learn ... you are incredible!

[@ofunky]

Awesome video! Thanks for showing the process

[@arelgr9407]

the presentation is excellent, it has rendered the meaning. detail, before the foundry sand fell 6:02'' you had to sprinkle it by sifting inside of an old sock with a thin layer of charcoal ash so that the originals would come off easily 6:52'' . what would you say ? 😏

[@KrakenCasting]

Hey, those aren't half bad! I think they turned out pretty cool! Maybe some kind of screw press with consistent pressure and some kind of key to keep the dies in the right orientation could improve the results, but this method is more or less how coins were made for centuries.

[@TestUser-cf4wj]

Got to the number stamping part and immediately said to myself, "He's done that wrong. It'll turn out backward." Lessons from printmaking class when I was an art student.

[@MintMiser]

Very cool! Thanks for the video!

[@ChatterontheWire]

lol nice use of the old desert camo pants!

[@lundgrenbronzestudios]

Found them at a garage sale. 😁

[@michael-1680]

Coin dies are made using high-carbon steel. This is necessary so that the steel can be annealed, engraved while soft, then hardened and driven into the coin blank. The best steel to use wis generally at least 6/10ths of one percent carbon. Tool steels are generally preferred. If you have a forge, a good source are worn-out circular saw blades.

[@redneckhippiefreak]

Brass is difficult to forge..If you use a regular round bar of copper and a slightly convex slug made from it, , it will help the coin contour to your reliefs carvings. Another thing that might help- Use a real sledge and Solid base like an anvil or hard pack/clay surface. The wood rebounds way too much. You only want to hit the die once..Hard and level. Practice makes perfect in all aspects of colonial coinage.. If you want to make them with brass flats and your current set up, you'll need a 20-40 ton hydraulic press.

[@christianweatherbroadcasting]

Jesus is the only way. We have all sinned and deserve Hell. Sins that may seem small in our eyes are big in God's and are worthy of Hell, such as lying lusting and stealing. But if we repent and trust only in Jesus, he is faithful and will save us from Hell and give us eternal life in Heaven. Trust in Jesus! John 3:16 Romans 6:23❤😊

[@redneckhippiefreak]

@@christianweatherbroadcasting lol Satan is the true bearer of the light, Jesus was a false prophet. Stop spreading lies and supporting Evil.

[@davidharris730]

If you had a lathe maybe you would make coin blanks by casting a round bar, turning it to size, maybe knurl an edge pattern, then part the blank off. Still, stamping from flat sheet might make more sense economically. But isn't it more fun to do it your own way?

[@lundgrenbronzestudios]

It’s fun to try! I was trying to do it the ancient way. It’s amazing what they could do.

[@X1GenKaneShiroX]

How much do those pieces of equipment shown at 3:14 and 4:00 typically cost, and where could you buy an affordable one? You know, the one that puts the designs on the coins.

[@lundgrenbronzestudios]

So this is basically what I am using in the video. amzn.to/43h3Qcc amzn.to/3BMgPa8 You can get models cheaper but this will give you an idea.

[@alexanderdavis5332]

This is actually pretty cool

[@EmrysCoppersmith]

I know this is a bit old, but I would suggest modifying an old heavy duty drill press instead of a hammer or build a simple leaver press. Also try starting from a small bead, blob or ball (not sure if there's a correct term) of your heated metal instead of a straight coin blank, and let it deform out into the coin shape as it's pressed (kind of like putting a ball of dough in a cookie press). Finally, try using something softer for your coin material; Copper, aluminum, gold or silver (though those last two are much more expensive). Though brass and Nordic gold are still on the softer side, they are notably harder than their base metal and therefor harder to deform. Loved the video! Thank you for putting it out there. It really helped me think of how to make this work on my own. ^_^

[@lockbow]

Cool idea! Use a proper sledgehammer with a handle long enough to swing it with both hands. I assume fewer hits will give you cleaner edges. Try a softer metal such as silver or even tin and/or reduce the diameter of the coin. I have a large silver commemorative coin struck at a faire some 25+ years ago. It is about 1.5-1.8 times the diameter of a US quarter and was heated in a forge until glowing, placed in the die and struck within a few seconds of leaving the heat. The spot where the blank was gripped with the tongs is clearly visible as the pattern didn't transfer as well. The replicas of medieval coins I've seen stuck have all been struck cold but the blanks have all been small and cut from 1 mm or thinner silver sheet metal.

[@lundgrenbronzestudios]

Interesting. Yeah I think a bigger sledge hammer would help. But I think I need a bigger die to strike too.

[@lockbow]

I checked the size and the silver coin I have is 40 mm in diameter. A US quarter is 24.26 mm. If you like I can send you some photos of it. The relief is really high, although to be honest I have no idea what the requirements are for high and ultra high relief coins. Something that struck me was the space around the blanks in the die. Did you check the diameter of your blanks before and after they had been struck? I understand wanting to avoid having a coin stuck in your die, on the other hand you want to force the metal into the die instead of oozing out sideways.

[@jimcatanzaro7808]

Nice job i have been learning how to cast with wax during the winter and in the spring I’ll be casting metal

[@dineshbihal2149]

Gud work bro ... ❤️👍

[@l.mendes8208]

Great, and certainly fun! You could get your blanks out of cylindrical brass feed stock.

[@lefalinjection3493]

How do you suppose a 20 ton press for the die would work instead of a hammer?

[@lundgrenbronzestudios]

I bet that would work. It would be worth a try!

[@unclejake154]

Excellent. Thanks.

[@psjasker]

People like you built America!

[@priniz]

Very interesting video! I have some suggestions to you: •You could try acid etching for more details. It would be much easier than making it by hand. •On the hammering process, you could make a system where a weight drops on top of the coin stamp. It is much easier than hammering it one by one

[@avexoidavex3577]

Technology is used like in ancient times, and the result is like in ancient times. King Lundgren's coin.

[@Ribrunner100]

What about using a vice to add constant pressure instead of sledgehammers?

[@michael-1680]

The way to make mirror-image dies is to engrave them exactly the way you did, then harden the die, and use a press to drive it into a soft steel planchet, which is then hardened, and used as the final die.

[@lordraven1991]

It might take more setup to do, but you could harden the stamps, then soften the metal to be stamped, and use a very heavy press to crush down onto the blanks. A couple ton hydraulic press could do the trick.

[@lundgrenbronzestudios]

That would be interesting to try.

[@lordraven1991]

@@lundgrenbronzestudios Three coins thick is pretty thick for a coin, but if your goal is to have wider coins with some thickness to them, then try two quarters thick with the press technique. If your stamp area is wider than the blank then it will smush outwards as you crush it, then you can harden the coin after if you so wish. Just some ideas to achieve your desired outcome.

[@витявазон]

12:01 - it would have got into the eye - the headphones would not have helped

[@LegendaryLycanthrope]

I feel like using a hydraulic press or a press of some kind would be a lot easier than trying to get a perfectly straight strike with the back of an axe, or even a hammer.

[@stewartpalmer2456]

Well, done. very well done. I'm probably going to pour aluminum or copper into plaster. I will make wax blanks and burn out the wax in the drying process. But dude, well done.

[@lundgrenbronzestudios]

The lost wax process is a good method.

[@stewartpalmer2456]

@@lundgrenbronzestudios I saw the delft clay to be expensive.

[@ephedrol]

What tool did you use for carving?

[@danielwinter441]

love your process, good job

[@3dog100]

Thanks so much dude! I've been looking for a video like this for a long time. I want to mass produce my own coins for prop and LARP events (like SCA).

[@sovannareachLee]

Oh boy I always wanted to create coins

[@jp2362]

surely when were in a post apocalyptic world and the fall of rome/USA comes. you will surely be a wealthy fellow because you will have real currency. Especially if your hoarding silver, copper, and other metals. Keep it up, practice, improve your method. You will surely have a valuable skilled trade similar to welding, plumbing, etc..... Good work man! Love how your humble enough to admit your mistakes and how you can improve. Too many people try to act like they know everything and that their experts at everything.

[@CaptainRadack]

Well done!!!!!!!!!!

[@racheldeatherage1512]

I felt like I was watching one of those test your strength games at a fair.

[@SMunro]

Acid etching? So tool. Wonder if you can stamp coins from plastic bottle caps.

[@stevetenney5098]

Loved it, keep on keeping on! Great!

[@stevehartley7504]

You can remove small amount from punch edges to ease removal after punching Great job though👍

[@jasondeatherage9542]

Pretty good first attempt! I wonder if it would be easier if it were an indented design... I suppose it depends if it's a smaller design.

[@crystalsheep1434]

What tools did you use to engrave the designs

[@lundgrenbronzestudios]

I used a dermal with a carbide bur.

[@crystalsheep1434]

@@lundgrenbronzestudios thanks

[@confedaratewolf]

Good video I want to make some challenge coins out of bronze.

[@Tysto]

I saw a guy at a Ren fair cut blanks out of thick sheet metal, put them between two dies, then smack them with a hammer, and voila: Medieval-quality coins.

[@lundgrenbronzestudios]

Hmm. I’ll have to look for that guy at ren fest. I go to the one in Minneapolis from time to time, don’t know if he goes there.

[@driftersforge4962]

I might do this myself, but with a different design

[@TheropodHunter]

New subscriber here, I'm impressed by your work, especially the lion and the bison.

[@lundgrenbronzestudios]

ThankS

[@coldshot5555]

That was fun!

[@jamesdolan5236]

I should think that using a hydraulic press like a car jack would work better. Also, at least until you get the procedure down right, you might want to try an even softer metal like aluminium or copper.

[@lundgrenbronzestudios]

I’ve got a 20 ton jack. I’m not sure how I would hold that much pressure though.

[@kursor6127]

I was trying to do something similar but i found infirmation that in ancient times like ancient greeks. They was useing molten drops to get deep relief- You need to strike few times and i think its bad for quality. I was trying this with Clay open mold and You can compres molten metal causeing very good detail and surface. But in contact with steel Die IT will demage IT very fast so its not the best idea for mass production.

[@tofan2622]

So awesome

[@gd2u2]

Interesting art sir, good job. How about some hydraulic coercion?

[@lundgrenbronzestudios]

I will have to try that.

[@mevk1]

Pretty cool how heating the metal to higher temp made stamping the image so much easier. The result is so very nearly identical to the die - amazing.

[@bartcubbins3528]

You have a local metal store !?! 😳 ... little jealous not gunna lie 😒 Fun project and pretty impressive first time engraving I gotta say ! Can't wait for the next ones !! - Melt Happy Pour Safe!!!!

[@lundgrenbronzestudios]

That’s one of the perks of living in Minneapolis. The draw back...I live in Minneapolis.

[@bartcubbins3528]

Haha! .Yeah I guess everywhere has it's +'s and -'s and sometimes the grass can look greener and all that ... ( I have family in St.Paul.... 😜😁)

[@hawkeyeaz1]

If you use a hydraulic press, that will be more even and consistent for the stamping. Attach the dies to the press. I suspect splitting the holder into (at least) 3 (and then allowing them to be secured in place-like a vice-would allow the coins to not get stuck after pressing. The holder might need some interlocking nubs to withstand the outward pressure. Modern home CNC (etc) machines might help get a more finished die (when the kinks are worked out of the process). Depending on the metal, you might also just engrave some coins out of sheets of metal. Not necessarily as polished though. And, for the record, I have zero experience with any of this, so this is very much an "outsider" perspective. I only give ideas as requested.

[@lundgrenbronzestudios]

I’m had a lot of people request a hydraulic press.

[@mackk123]

casting bar stock to turn on the lathe to feed into the screw machine to churn out a bunch of pucks.

[@nicolamead7490]

You look like your just starting off with your channel and I think you are really good at youtube this is coming from someone who tried youtube

[@JTCT371]

Great effort....love the video......if you were able to create this in your first attempt, you will become awesome at engraving.

[@jerichojoe307]

Would have been much more efficient and consistent to press them with a hydraulic press even a bottle jack would have worked you can get a 2-ton pneumatic bottle jack from harbor freight for like 30 bucks. I also think you're blanks could have been made more efficiently and consistently by casting a solid rod and then cutting them to the required thickness with a bandsaw. Bronze is quite soft so it would have been barely any wear on your blade if you had a half-decent blade🤷. Still neat though. Good job.