Münzprägen

Münzprägen, or coin minting, is the process of producing coins, typically for use as currency. The most common method involves striking a metal blank, known as a planchet, between two dies. One die, the obverse die, imprints the front (or "heads") of the coin, while the other, the reverse die, imprints the back (or "tails"). Historically, this was a manual process, with blacksmiths or artisans striking the planchet with a hammer.

Modern minting is a highly automated industrial process. Metal ingots are melted, alloyed to precise specifications, and then rolled into strips of the correct thickness. These strips are then punched into blanks, which are subsequently heated and, in some cases, annealed to soften them for striking. The blanks are then fed into high-speed coining presses. These presses use immense pressure to transfer the intricate designs from the dies onto the metal planchets, creating the finished coins.

Beyond the basic striking process, minting can involve additional steps. Some coins feature edge reeding, which is created by a special collar that surrounds the planchet during striking. Special collector or commemorative coins may undergo additional polishing or finishing processes to achieve specific visual effects. The production of counterfeit coins, or counterfeiting, also employs similar techniques, though often with less sophisticated equipment and materials.