What was the rate of striking of coins by the mints steam press c. 1850?

Comments

• gecko109 Posts: 8,231 ✭

  March 24, 2010 3:54AM

  If they were hand fed, i'd imagine it all depended on how much the operator valued his fingers!!!

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• CaptHenway Posts: 32,763 ✭✭✭✭✭

  March 24, 2010 3:57AM

  They had mechanical feed mechanisms by then.
  
  As an uninformed, unresearched WAG, I would guess around 60-70 strokes per minute.
  
  TD

  Numismatist. 50 year member ANA. Winner of four ANA Heath Literary Awards; three Wayte and Olga Raymond Literary Awards; Numismatist of the Year Award 2009, and Lifetime Achievement Award 2020. Winner numerous NLG Literary Awards.

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• Coinosaurus Posts: 9,645 ✭✭✭✭✭

  March 24, 2010 4:01AM

  Brad Karoleff had a discussion about this in CW a few months back. I forget exactly what he came up with, but Capt. Henway's number was in the ballpark of what he was talking about.
  
  The 3000 dollars would certainly be a day's work or less, assuming all the planchets & die(s) were on hand & nothing broke.

  Newman Numismatic Portal, www.NewmanPortal.org

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• COALPORTER Posts: 2,900 ✭✭

  March 24, 2010 4:20AM

  Id guess 1.5 seconds per coin seams reasonable.

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• LoveMyLiberty Posts: 1,784 ✭✭✭

  March 24, 2010 5:29AM

  
  David Lange said 40,000 / day for steam compared to 15,000 / day
  with the screw press. This was when the steam press came in by
  1837 at Phil., so by 1850 it was probably a bit more.
  

  My Type Set
  
  R.I.P. Bear

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• RWB Posts: 8,082 ✭

  March 24, 2010 5:38AM

  The smallest coins might have taken longer than dollars or double eagles. From examining gold dollars and silver 3-cents, it seems they have more clashed dies than other denominations. A practical guess is that the small planchets stuck in the feeding tubes more easily than larger planchets. (Due to low mass and surface adhesion.) This would cause more clashing of dies, more stoppages to make repairs and a general reduction in productivity. I also suspect there might have been more rejects because the tiny, light planchets could stick together easily, and not have enough mass to fall into the coining chamber correctly.
  
  Gust some thoughts….
  

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