Neat program on the History Channel

[jtryka]

I just watched "Hands on History" on the History Channel, and it was all about how coins are made! It was pretty good, lots of information packed into a 30 minute program. They glossed over the early history including the old screw press, but they had a really interesting tour of proof coin production at the San Francisco mint. I was amazed at all the steps in the process, how the dies were polished and sandblasted so many times, to the striking and packaging. They were minting proof state quarters (2001 NC). They are struck slowly on the older type presses as opposed to the circulation strikes. Each die is only used for about 3 hours to produce about 25,000 coins (if I remember correctly). Another interesting thing is that no one touches them! This may come as a shock to some grading companies that are convinced that every fingerprint that ends up in their slabs was caused by a mint employee. The only step in the process where this might occur is when the trays are moved from the minting area to the packaging area, but the possibility seems remote. The coins come off the press and are fed into a tray. The tray is then loaded into the packaging line where a robot equipped with a camera identifies the specific coin and where it fits in the package. It then identifies the right side and position of the coin so that it's right side up in the package. Then the cardboard inserts are placed into the plastic trays by a different robot and voila! A proof set is born! Overall a very interesting program!, and I encourage you to see it if it airs again.

[parasite]

 

Did it say when the next program is??

 

KINGKOIN KING OF KOINS

[jtryka]

No, they usually run them again late night so you can set your vcr. You can probably find the schedule at historychannel.com

[jeh46544]

Is that the one with Ron Hazelton? I think I've seen that before. I've seen another one too. The other one I've seen was not really about how the mints make the coins, but about the mints themselves. It told about each mint, what they minted, when they opened, and when they closed. It told some stories about coins too, it also talked about the S.F. gold rush and the private mints that opened. They are both really nice shows, I liked them alot. I'll have to check the History Channel's website to see if they come on again sometime.

[nwcs]

I think they recycled the footage from the hour long episode of Modern Marvels where they look at the mint's production.Still, it's always neat to see how they do things at the mint. Too bad they don't have imagination to match the technology!

[jtryka]

I don't think this one was recycled, since it was the program with Ron Hazleton, where he actually does the stuff in the program. In this instance he got to sandblast and polish a proof NC quarter die, and fortunately for us, when he presented it to the inspector, she politely told him it was no good! She said the only thing they could do with that die now was put an X through it.

[Beijim]

Unfortunately, it appears Saturday's showing was the only one left this month. The web site doesn't offer the ability to search next month's schedule, so we'll have to wait until this Saturday to see the March lineup.

 

Beijim

 

[nwcs]

Hmm, that does sound different. I hate that I missed it.