Having My Own Medal Design Minted

I started designing medals after reading about Daniel Carr from the press and seeing his website which explains how he designs coins and medals using software he developed. he is an incredibly talented person and certainly inspired me to create my own designs.

Anyway, in the last couple years I designed several medals based on my pure interest in symmetry and geometric shapes. But, more importantly to keep the die charges low. 3-D designs especially those incorporating faces, animals, complex buildings, and elements really run up the cost for sculpting, etc.

So, I kept my designs simple and symmetric. I used Silver Towne Mint for the medals below. Here are some examples of what I've done and in the next post, I'll document the process of my latest project.

 

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Here is the newest addition that i'm having minted from Regency Mint.

Below are the bitonal CAD drawing and the rendering created in Photoshop.

he details and specs on the coin are as follows:

• Pieces will be struck in Silver, Copper, Brass, and Nickel Silver. One piece to be struck in Gold.
• Diameter: 27mm
• Thickness: .102 inches for base metals, .120 inches for Gold and Silver
• Finish: Proof-Like

 

And here are the dies before they are hardened and sandblasted.

 

Very cool man!
:high5:

 

Looks nice! Do they let you have the dies? Some of these mints will not let the customer keep the dies even after they've paid for them.

 

Most professional photographers never give up their negatives, even if they are pictures you paid to have taken of your family. That is because they want to charge inflated prices for the prints. If they gave you the negatives, you could get much cheaper prints elsewhere.

Some private mints are the same way with dies.

When I do a minting project for someone, I send them the dies when the project is done.

 

When I had the first three medals minted, Silver Town told me that i could keep the dies. But, that I keep them at my own risk in that if they got damaged then they (Silver Towne) were not liable for how pieces may look after recveiving the dies back for production.

BTW, I got to keep some dies from a mistake on their part. It's pretty cool to have a set of dies laying around that doesn't have the design shaved off (like the US mint)

 

very nice designs kiyardo...how many do you mint of each and what price? if you dont mind me asking.

 

The sale of prints... is the only thing that makes them money. What else pays for the photographer's time, driving to location or studio rent costs and $20-60K+ worth of equipment?

:: was a photographer in a past life and thinks "inflated" is the incorrect term ::

Sure I could have done the shoot for free (no one likes to pay the sitting fee), searched the ads for free studio space, and the classifieds for free equiptment, and then... gave the negs away so you could go print them at Wal-Mart for $0.16/print.

People always wanted a professional and professional prints at "your uncle Larry and his point and shoot photo hut prints" prices. Also note that I (can't speak for all photgraphers) used a professional lab which charged a hefty (but worth it) amount. In raw materials alone it cost me $500-$1000+ for a wedding album and raw prints, and arranging it and putting it together by hand took forever.

I don't miss it.

 

Well, that sounds like a fair price for the amount of work involved. One time we had a photographer that charged $250 for the initial 2-hour photo shoot (15 minute drive from his office). Fair enough. But then he wanted almost $2500 for the three prints (11x17). I don't know who would ever pay that kind of money with inexpensive digital technology the way it is today.

 

Thank you very much. Since I'm on a very limited budget and I know that my designs aren't the kind that would sell. I get small quantitites, like under 20 for the silver and less than 50 in each of the other metals. The gold piece is a one off. Other mints charge a penalty for going below their suggested minimum price. But, I can't afford to have 100 silver pieces struck at a half ounce piece, unless I knew I could sell them.

The costs are a couple of dollars per strike depending on the metal. Gold is like $35, then you have the cost fo the bullion, then the cost of the die. Die charges are sevral hundred dolalrs for simple designs, to over a thousand for 3-D, or complex designs.

 

The prints are certainly on the high side (to say the least) but note that high end digital equipment is anything but inexpensive. It's come down, in the last 5 years.

Here's a digital back. That's the cost of the *back* of the camera, not the camera itself, nor the lens. For redundancy, you should get two. Non-digital camera backs run ~$1,000 (and you need at least 3 if you have a quick assistant who can load and unload film as they're good for 12 shots). Here's a few camera and some camera and lens packages and just some lenses. You need at least two cameras (at least) and some small lights for traveling portrait shoots (monolights have their limits and while they are pretty versitile, but far from the end-all-be-all of lighting needs). Tripods, backgrounds, it never ends. And of course, that's just "the stuff" -there's a technical and artistic side to it (meaning all that stuff doesn't produce fantastic photographs by itself).

 

I looked into having my own coins minted...it was a certain amount (cant remember how much) to do the die and they wouldnt mint anything under a thousand (think it cam to 40-50 cents each at a thou +die charge in brass)...I dont have that kind of money right now so I held off...I have a design ready to go though...edited - please remember forum rules

 

Drusus. I sent you a PM. Also, I'd love to see your designs.

 

Wow good for you I like your desighns and I would one day love to have some coins minted too.

 

I'd go ahead and get those dies into your physical posession. You can always set up your own press and have WAY more fun making stuff yourself if you have the dies.

Like Dan Carr, I also make dies available to cutomers when a project is finished. If they paid to have the die made then it belongs to them. Sometimes I "front" the die work, in which case it belongs to me. Basically it's all negotiable.

 

I'd like to. But, the equipment I would need to strike my own coins is VERY expensive., unless I could find a cheap press that would take the dies. I do have a set of dies that the Mint (Silver Town) messed up.

Also, I checked out your site. Very nice! I'm sure I'll be ordering some of your work soon. Great concept with the LOTR idea.

 

Well, I finally recieved the final strikes yesterday, after some problems which contributed to the delay. Any thoughts? Do you think it translated okay. The spacing seems a little closer than on the original artwork. The frosting and mirror like fields look nice, and since this is only a proof-like strike, the dust that gets in the dies causing inperfections on the medals is to be expected I guess.

 

Yeah...cool...why couldn't you do some kind of legend though ?

 

Kiyardo,

I think they turned out very nice - thanks for sharing the end result. Spacing issues are probably something you learn with time and experience. I'm sure Tom, Daniel and any other coin designers will tell you the same thing. As you gain that experience you understand how certain details will transfer to the coins. I think they look great and that future coins will only improve as you find elements of design that work the way you want them to.

As far as the frosting it will be interesting to see what others say about consistency. Is this a design issue or a production issue.?. Regardless - nice job...

Thanks again

Darryl