- Process:
- Coin Ideas
- Artwork
- Sculpt
- Dies
- Melt
- Extruding
- Rolling
- Blanking
- Polishing
- Striking
- Finishing
- Packaging & Display
The Melt
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We're proud of the fact that we're a full-service mint, with the capability of completing every step of the minting process on site at our 42,000 square-foot facility. Our unparalleled expertise in working with metals in every form and at every stage of the production process is evident in the tangible quality of each product we create.
Creating the Billet
In our on-site metal processing facility, gold and silver are melted down and poured into billets. These are then pressed through a small rectangular opening, drawing them into long thin strips of soft annealed metal.
Once the billets are created, it is time to extrude them into long, flat strips.
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 California gold rush during the 1850s produced much in the way of nuggets and gold dust. Because the gold purity varied widely, miners would bring their treasure to one of several private assaying firms to have the gold melted, poured into ingots, and then tested for purity. The ingots were stamped with their weight, purity and the assayer's mark. Each assay ingot was unique - sizes varied from very small to very large (the largest assay bar found was a nearly 80 pound ingot found on the S.S. "Central America"). Marked Assay Bars became a convenient way to transport gold and to serve as a store of value.