Do You Know How The UK Coins Are Made And What Are They Made of?

The processes involved in producing a coin can be broken down into three different sections: making the blanks, making the dies and striking the coins.

Making the blanks

Depending on the alloy required, the appropriate metals are melted in the necessary proportions in a furnace. The metal is then extracted from the furnace in the form of a continuous strip, which is cut to produce coils weighing up to 2.8 tonnes. The strip is passed through powerful rolling mills to reduce it to the thickness of a coin. Blank discs of metal are then punched from the strip in a blanking press at a rate of up to 10,000 a minute. Rolling metal under great pressure makes it hard so the blanks have to be softened, something which is achieved by heating them in an annealing furnace at up to 950°C.

Making the dies

Once a design has been approved, a plaster model is prepared at several times the diameter of the intended coin. The plaster model is scanned by a ruby-tipped probe which records the design as a digital file on a computer. Guided by this digital file, an engraving machine cuts the design into a piece of steel at the correct size of the coin. Known as a reduction punch, this piece of steel is then used to make the dies which will actually strike the coins.

Striking the coins

For the final stage of the process, the blanks are fed into a coining press containing a pair of dies. Applying a pressure of around 60 tonnes, the dies strike the blanks and turn them into coins at speeds of up to 850 a minute.

= 1 penny coin =

First Issued February 15, 1971

Diameter 20.3mm

Weight 3.56g

Thickness Bronze: 1.52mm. Copper-plated steel: 1.65mm

Composition Bronze (97pc copper, 2.5pc zinc, 0.5pc tin)

= 2 pence coin =

First Issued February 15, 1971

Diameter 25.9mm

Weight 7.12g

Thickness Bronze: 1.85mm. Copper-plated steel: 2.03mm

Composition Bronze (97pc copper, 2.5pc zinc, 0.5pc tin)

= 5 pence coin =

First Issued Smaller version in June 1990.

Diameter 18.0mm

Weight 3.25g

Thickness 1.7mm

Composition Cupro-nickel (75pc copper, 25pc nickel)

= 10 pence coin =

First Issued Smaller version in September 1992.

Diameter (since 1992) 24.5mm

Weight 6.5g

Thickness 1.85mm

Composition Cupro-nickel (75pc copper, 25pc nickel)

= 20 pence coin =

First Issued June 9, 1982

Diameter 21.4mm

Weight 5g

Thickness 1.7mm

Composition Cupro-nickel (84pc copper, 16c nickel)

= 50 pence coin =

First Issued Smaller version introduced in September 1997. Diameter (since 1997) 27.3mm

Weight 8.0g

Thickness 1.78mm

Composition Cupro-nickel (75pc copper, 25pc nickel)

= 1 pound coin =

Issue Date April 21, 1983

Diameter 22.5mm

Weight 9.5g

Thickness 3.15mm

Composition Nickel-Brass (70pc copper, 5.5pc nickel, 24.5pc zinc)

= 2 pound coin =

First Issued June 15, 1998

Diameter 28.4mm

Weight 12g

Thickness 2.5mm

Composition, Outer Nickel-Brass (76pc copper, 4pc nickel, 20pc zinc). Inner Cupro-nickel (75pc copper, 25pc nickel)

= 5 pound coin =

First Issued August 4, 1990. Previously crowns had a face value of 25p

Diameter 38.61mm

Weight 28.28g

Thickness 2.89mm

Composition Cupro-nickel (75pc copper, 25pc nickel)

Collector versions have been struck in precious metals

As an international manufacturer and supplier for copper sheet and bronze sheet, Shanghai Metal Corporation produces slitting, edging, and oscillates winding to fit your specific copper requirements. To find out more, please visit our Website or send your inquiry here. Our English speaking personnel will be more than pleased to help you. Follow us on  LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel. Or you could try our new mobile app by scanning our QR code.

Sources: Royal Mint, The Telegraph, museumvictoria.com.au

William P.//SMC Editor

Read more articles by this author here.

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The Best Friend a Camper or Soldier Can Have

You find yourself and your friends camping in the woods, it’s time to eat and you have a can of soup that needs opening, an apple that needs slicing and by the way a small screw just came loose on your tent. What do you do? You pull out your pocket knife of course.

Since the late 1880’s the pocket knife has been quintessential to soldiers everywhere. The now, most reliable and trusted friend of any soldier and camper, was once a potential threat to its own user.

Pocket knife invented by the Romans in 200 A.D

 

While there were some issues at first, the pocket knife was every soldier’s best friend, and in 1921 with the introduction of Stainless Steel, it became even better. Even though the pocket knife had a very humble beginning as most great inventions due; it was created for practicality and later when separate compartments where introduce-for multiple use. Unfortunately these knifes were prone to rust and corrosion which led to: reduction of lifespan, blade weakening, and inadvertently endangering yourself to a serious accident resulting in tetanus.

The introduction of stainless steel meant that these knives were much more resilient to corrosion and rust as well as lighter than their previous models which were entirely made with carbon steel and brass.Due to the reliability of stainless steel, and the versatile use; different compartments would be added in the years to come. This came in handy when soldiers or campers found themselves in different situations and terrains with unknown obstacles heading their way.

Today, the stainless steel pocketknife can be found in all shapes and sizes, even as a key chain-while still packing its multipurpose punch. Thanks to the properties of stainless steel, all this was possible. From the army to our everyday camper and everyone in between, the dependable stainless steel pocketknife is and will always be that, “dependable”.

As Stainless Steel Industry Professional, Shanghai Metal Corporation takes pride in manufacturing products which are used in our daily life such as stainless steel cutlery. SMC manufactures and supplies at the highest quality and most affordable price.

For more information on stainless steel material please visit our website. Be sure to join the conversation in our Linkedin group, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram account. You can also try our new mobile application by scanning the below QR code with your tablet or smart phone.

Mario B.//SMC Editor

Sources: Cool Material, The Art of Manliness

Pictures: idownloadblog.com, outdoorafro.com, sweetpeafliessouth.wordpress.com, travel.nationalgeographic.com