Any experience with coins in a vice?

So I always try to be creative with my Christmas gifts. A while back I bought 20 blank planchets. I'm thinking I want to press coins onto both sides so that it would look like a mirrored coin. I've seen it on here a few times were people found one and got all excited thinking it was some crazy mint error so I know it can be done.

I'm wondering if anyone has tried this before and if they have any tips. I'm guessing I should use pre 82 cents. The 95% copper type should be stronger, right? I might do some different coins too, like a mule.

Hopefully when they see it they will want to research it and maybe it will get them into numismatics. You never know....

 

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So you want to create fake errors, so that one day down the road, someone will probably get fooled and over pay for them?

 

With the problem of counterfeiting and "replicas" driving our hobby crazy, I encourage you to come up with another idea. I know you wouldn't attempt mischief with them, but once they are out of your control, there is no telling what will happen to them (including an innocent Ebayer getting conned).

 

Or they'll think they can make them in quantity and sell them on eBay or elsewhere and that by virtue of you having given them one, there's nothing wrong with that. Don't do it.

 

As it is often said, lead by example..

 

Ok I won't do it. Never mind.

 

I say do it, have fun with it, then destroy them to appease all of the handwringers.

 

Nahhh...Not making errors but you could use counter stamps to make them unique or mount them in bezels or like another post that made coasters. Or pour some plastic to embed the coins in as a paper weight. Get really creative with them, no harm in that, "error" making is just not really cool as stated above.

 

Yes. I made little aluminium dies with my own designs and used air gun pellets as blank planchets. I did them back when I was in high school. Lead pellets were about the only thing I could use with aluminium dies. I had a piece of brass I was going to use to try some heavier duty coin making - but brass was a lot harder to work. I still have the dies and the little lead coins - just don't own a vice so no more coin making. The mint has been closed for quite a few years ago.

 

I've said it many times before, but if we're going to give one guy a "fantasy" pass, it's only right that everyone should be allowed one as well. As long as you somehow "mark" them, you know, so any "idiot" (if they don't have a book handy or knowledge of coins, oh well) should be able to identify them as "fantasies", you're good.

It's not that I personally think you or anyone else should be copying anything that, even if only to a layman, could closely resemble a genuine mint product, but the hypocrisy needs to end.

 

I've got some experience with coins as a vice.

But if ya gotta have a vice, there are lots worse: The Most Common Vices For Men.

 

Compared to those, a coin vice is an innocent pasttime.

 

For me it seemed innocent. The coins would be obvious to anyone that had the slightest knowledge of errors. They would all be mirrored and the details would be pushed in instead of raised. I thought it would be fun and a chance to create some curiosity in some friends of mine that might lead to a couple new people in the hobby. But, all the blowing out of proportion here is killing the chance that whatever I do, would be shared with this forum. As a matter of fact, I may just move on to another forum. To be quite honest I'm over it. This place is nice to come for answers but nobody here seems passionate about the hobby. There's no dream left in most of the long time members anymore. It's all about how much you can make or how great of an investment it can be or how you don't have room for anything just because it's neat. Blah blah blah blah.... A good forum should make you feel welcome....like you belong. Instead, every post here has someone waiting in the bushes just waiting to jump on the "look how smart I am!" train.

There's no fun here....and I am going to make those damn mirrored planchets. I just couldn't handle seeing one more stupid post telling me how it's immoral and wrong.

 

Ummmm. Ok

 

Hey, I see you are from East Tn. Where at? That's where my wife is from.

 

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Gatlinburg area.

 

Hm. I can see both sides here. I think any "errors" you make would, as you said, probably be easily detectable and cause no harm. And yes, there's always a chance someone will get a hold of them and cause havoc, but I've seen plenty of people fooled by easy to find two-sided magician coins as well. So, I don't know. I also understand the sensitivity around fakes and counterfeits because they do threaten to undermine the hobby in general, which could decrease people's investments (but I also agree that many coin collectors over-emphasize the money money money over the fun fun fun). So both sides have good points. I'd say follow your own intuitions. You can either follow or ignore the advice given here and do what you want. It does carry some risk, but I'm not sure how ominous that risk really is in the grand scheme of things. I doubt you'll create anything that can compete with the fakes coming out of today's Chinese coin mills. But if you do, there may be jobs waiting for you.

 

My family is all from that region.

 

Dude... have you been on other forums?