- Process:
- Coin Ideas
- Artwork
- Sculpt
- Dies
- Melt
- Extruding
- Rolling
- Blanking
- Polishing
- Striking
- Finishing
- Packaging & Display
Extruding
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From Billet to Sheet
The solid metal forms referred to as "billets" are dislodged from the steel containers and transported to the billet oven (shown at right), where they are reheated for 15 minutes at approximately 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit in preparation for the next step in the process. Using specially designed channel locks to collect the heated billets from the oven, technicians load the billets into a massive machine called an extruder, which operates under extreme pressure to fashion the heated forms into thin strips of soft, annealed metal.
The extruded strips are then sent to the roller, where they are rolled to precise thicknesses.
Would you like more information on the types of minted items available from Northwest Territorial Mint? Request a FREE information packet with detailed information about custom coins and other minted products.
The Central Asian Kyrgyz people used horses as the principal currency unit and gave small change in lambskins. Many objects have been used as a form of currency for centuries, including conch shells, precious metals, and gems.
