Repousse Coins (aka Push Outs or Pop Outs)

ThePennyLady

I mentioned earlier that I wrote an article on penny exonumia and am also working on putting together an exhibit for the Summer ANA show in Chicago. Included in my penny exonumia collection are these cool Repousse Indian cents (aka push outs or pop outs). Here is a little information I found about these fun pieces:

These interesting pieces of exonumia are also known as “Pushed Up,” “3-D,” or “Repousse” coins. Many varieties exist, including Miss Liberty, Presidents, with Lincoln being the most common, as well as animals, Indians, political, religious, fraternal clubs, foreign themes, etc. Many pop-outs were made into jewelry, such as fobs, rings, pins, brooches, pendants, cuff links, etc. A book on pop out coins called “Pop Out Repousse Coins – a Numismatic Mystery” was published in 2011 by Robert (Stumpy) Stump, who passed away a few days after the book was sent to print.

I posted photos of these two Indian repousse's I took with my iPhone in my Baltimore show report, but here are Todd's wonderful photos of these two pieces I acquired at the Baltimore show!






They will go nicely with the Roosevelt push out that I already had in my collection.




Feel free to post any repousse coins you may have!!!

nibanny

Just got my first "pop-out" coin last week.
Liberty on my birth year Lincoln cent, gold plated.

ranshdow

lkeigwin

jedm

They are all very nice! I especially like that dime Lance.

MsMorrisine

silver, tooled and AT

rec78

Just another way to ruin good coins. I hate coin jewelry, sigh....wait, I think I have Kennedy half somewhere like those. Just because I have it does not mean that I like it..

Jcarney

ricko

There is a large, autumn Garlic Festival where I live, and there are two 'coin jewelers' who display there.... they have several repousse coins displayed. Cheers, RickO

davewesen

Does anyone know how these are made? Are there obverse and reverse dies, as well as a collar to keep from expanding? I was an under bidder on one recently, which is largest I have seen (I guess I have seen on Morgans, but clads are even harder)

Namvet69

There's gotta be a hydraulic press involved in that push of metal. Peace Roy

LanceNewmanOCC

silly me. i thought charmy posted this ootb!

jesbroken

I got this one last year from a forum member and truly like it. Not sure how this was done without damage to the reverse, but maybe by a deep obverse die engraving. Not sure.
Jim

ThePennyLady

FYI - This is from a 1/26/2017 Coin World article written by Paul Gilkes:

An unusual altered coin collecting specialty focuses on pieces referred to as pop-out, pushed-out or repoussé coins.

According to Encyclopedia Britannica.com, repoussé is “a method of decorating metals in which parts of the design are raised in relief from the back or the inside of the article by means of hammers and punches; definition and detail can then be added from the front by chasing or engraving.

“The name repoussé is derived from the French pousser, ‘to push forward.’ This ancient technique, which has been used extensively throughout the history of metalworking, achieved widespread popularity in Europe during the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries.”

Collectors may encounter the 3-D artistry rendered on most U.S. coin denominations.

The design given 3-D proportions may not necessarily be the design originally struck into the coin, but there are exceptions.

For example, one may encounter a pushed-out rendition of John F. Kennedy forced from the reverse of a Kennedy half dollar.

One of the repoussé dies bears the raised design while the other bears a recessed area into which the raised die is forced under pressure, with a coin between serving as the host planchet.

The amount of pressure exerted determines how far the repoussé die pushes its design out from the surface of the struck coin.

ricko

@ThePennyLady... Thanks for the article Charmy.... I would like to see a video of the process, have not found one yet. Cheers, RickO

Cameonut

Finally found the photo of one that I used to own. Sold for a handsome profit.

JazzmanJAB

Horrible Pic. It's suppose to be T.R

JBK

@jesbroken said:
I got this one last year from a forum member and truly like it. Not sure how this was done without damage to the reverse, but maybe by a deep obverse die engraving. Not sure.
Jim

That's just a very high relief medal. Not a "push out" coin.

davewesen

@ricko said:
@ThePennyLady... Thanks for the article Charmy.... I would like to see a video of the process, have not found one yet. Cheers, RickO

I found one showing repousse - it involved a hammer a bunch of small punches and a die to push into. Also tempering the metal occasionally to help stretch and not crack metal. I do not know if that is how these are made.

spirityoda1

Here is my small pop out coins collection link: https://collectivecoin.com/spirityoda/all-coins/dzfi1c4m3mPoX2sX3I5p

click on pics to make them larger.

ricko

@spirityoda1 ... Nice collection, thanks for the link. Cheers, RickO

1northcoin

@davewesen said:
Does anyone know how these are made? Are there obverse and reverse dies, as well as a collar to keep from expanding? I was an under bidder on one recently, which is largest I have seen (I guess I have seen on Morgans, but clads are even harder)

Thanks for reviving this missed thread.

Zoins

I really like the relief on these.

Who makes these?

spirityoda1

Not sure who makes them. There are vintage ones and modern ones being made.

HoledandCreative

lilolme

Revive of a previous revived old thread.

I found some of these looking around on the web.
I have one but more typical type. Might try to get a picture later.

From the web - Here is Morgan on a Morgan $ and titled:

1902 Morgan dollar with pop-out bust of J.P. Morgan. Engraved W. LIPGENS FEC. at right under bust.

ldhair

ricko

I have occasionally seen these at shows and on the forum from time to time. Never owned one... Almost purchased a Kennedy half once, but passed. Interesting when done well. Cheers, RickO

JWP

These are the only 2 I own.