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

ambro51ambro51 Posts: 14,345 ✭✭✭✭✭
in U.S. Coin Forum
....wondering how long it took them to stamp out say....3,000 gold dollars.

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    gecko109gecko109 Posts: 8,231 ✭
    If they were hand fed, i'd imagine it all depended on how much the operator valued his fingers!!!
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    CaptHenwayCaptHenway Posts: 33,893 ✭✭✭✭✭
    They had mechanical feed mechanisms by then.

    As an uninformed, unresearched WAG, I would guess around 60-70 strokes per minute.

    TD
    Numismatist. 54 year member ANA. Former ANA Senior Authenticator. Winner of four ANA Heath Literary Awards; three Wayte and Olga Raymond Literary Awards; Numismatist of the Year Award 2009, and ANA Lifetime Achievement Award 2020. Also won the PNG's Robert Friedberg Award for "The Enigmatic Lincoln Cents of 1922," Available now from Whitman or Amazon.
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    CoinosaurusCoinosaurus Posts: 9,652 ✭✭✭✭✭
    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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    COALPORTERCOALPORTER Posts: 2,900 ✭✭
    Id guess 1.5 seconds per coin seams reasonable. image
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    LoveMyLibertyLoveMyLiberty Posts: 1,784 ✭✭✭

    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.
    image
    My Type Set

    R.I.P. Bear image
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    RWBRWB Posts: 8,082 ✭
    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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