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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;physics-fan3.14, post: 3932970, member: 19165&quot;]No, not exactly. And, remember this changed many times over the years.</p><p><br /></p><p>With early US coinage, the engraver made a die. Each letter was its own punch, and the device was a punch. Each detail was hand punched into its own unique die, and then that die was used directly to make a coin.</p><p><br /></p><p>With the reducing lathe, now the engraver would usually work with a plaster mold. The engraver would create the letters, devices, and layout of the coin on a large plaster disc. They would make a metal electrotype, and then the reducing lathe would then reduce that to the size of the coin to make the master hub. This lathe basically had a pin that traced out the entire surface of the plaster mold, and then the machine engraved that in steel.</p><p><br /></p><p>With this technique, the entire hub was created all at the same time. They wouldn&#039;t make an individual hub for the letters, or devices.</p><p><br /></p><p>This Master Hub was then used to make a Master Die. (Remember - a hub has raised relief like the coin, a die is inverted) The Master Die then made Working Hubs, and then the Working Hubs made Working Dies. These working dies actually struck the coins. Throughout much of the 20th century, the date and mintmark was left off the Master Hub. A new Master Die was made each year (or, possibly several depending on demand). The date was added to the master die. Mintmarks were then added individually to each working die, as required.</p><p><br /></p><p>I strongly suspect the piece of equipment you are referring to is a reducing lathe, as I&#039;ve described. Throughout most of the 20th century, this was the standard practice for making coins throughout much of the world.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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