URL: . Not your grandfather's celator. Produced by ACSYS in Germany, who manufactures the machinery. They have several other videos on their youtube channel. Cal
Beautiful. Thanks for sharing. A friend of mine was asking me how his new shark coin was so perfectly frosted and the suggestion was if die stamped and not a billet machined coin, the die was carefully shot-peened after finishing or done by laser.
Fascinating and incredible. I always experience some ambiguity when I see machines taking over once human functions, especially artistic ones. They can obviously do a far quicker and tighter job than most, or arguably all, humans, but the work always comes out a little "too" perfect. Plus, the fact that no human ever touched the carved surfaces seems a little unfortunate. That's probably why I find myself drawn to ancients and medievals, their crudity shows that people actually manufactured them. Anyway, I work with computers all day so I get it and I'm not anti-technology or a Luddite. I just see more and more of the arts being made by computers. In a little amount of time computers will begin designing everything as well. Computer design by AI is well on its way. I find it both good and bad. Ok, tirade over...
Personally, I'm not a fan of laser frosting. I find it to be just another example of new not equating to better or even being a good thing. And whenever I see threads like this it always reminds me of one started by another CT member, (and apologies for my not being able to remember your name), who posted these pictures in a thread some years ago. They do an excellent job of illustrating why I'm not a fan of laser frosting techniques. You can easily see where the laser began to be used, and also easily see the decrease in quality.
Laser frosting has not been much of a concern to me because I collect very few post-WWII coins. I like to see some evidence of handcrafting (or machine variation) as seen on my 19th century coins, although it often takes magnification to see it. Chances are though that the newest laser equipment available today can do a better job than that used to produce dies in 2010. If the mints wanted, they could program a bit of randomness to give a handcrafted look. Might even increase their sales because there would be some collecting by die variety. Cal
Good chance U.S. mint is using the same old equipment. Even if they had newer, they would have to have the will and skill to use it right. Cal
Ehhhh - maybe. But I doubt it. They made a deliberate choice to use the lasers to produce what I call the polka-dot frost. The only thing they'd have to do would be to adjust/change the apertures of the lasers to put an end to it. Rather obviously, they haven't and they don't. And adjustable laser apertures have been readily available since 1990 - long before the mint ever started using them.
I agree. They're doing in deliberately. That's where having the will to do it right should come in, but doesn't. Cal
We live in a Capitalistic Society. Money in everyone's pockets is the main objective; not quality. So detail, a sharply struck coin, speed of production and post mint damage before shipping; is not the concern of the mint anymore. It's the Vig they supply to the government, to offset the other branches deficiencies. I believe this counts the most. That's why I have stopped buying from them. Except for three silver products which are repetitive items every year. I would guess they have lost $1000 or more from me alone. What increase in value do they offer? A 100 year wait? And does that cover their percentage over value their charges reflect to begin with? You need to average out all their offers over the years, to come out with their value to us, not just one purchase.
