Unique, "EB on Breast"1787 Brasher Doubloon from
The Gold Rush Collection
Common Minting Terms
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Alloy |
A baser metal mixed with a finer one to give durability or some other desired quality, as to a coin. |
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Assayer |
A man of science who analyzes ores, bullion, alloys, etc. to determine the proportions of pure or precious metals present, refines base metals, toughens brittle metals such as gold, parts gold and silver, etc. |
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Assay balance |
A very sensitive balance used in assaying gold or silver. It usually has magnifying lenses for reading the gradations. |
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Bullion |
Uncoined gold or silver considered merely as so much metal without regard to value imparted to it by its form. |
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Chilled |
To become surface-hardened by sudden cooling while solidifying, as cast iron. |
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Clippings |
The metal remaining after the edges of coins have been clipped. |
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Coiner |
A mechanic who stamps the impress of money bearing the important design and date on the obverse and reverse sides of the coin. |
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Collar |
A ring to confine a planchet while being stamped, often adapted to impress letters or milling on the rim. |
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Cornet |
A metal bead flattened out and made into a roll for treatment with acid. In assaying, a bead is the globule of precious metal obtained by the cupellation process. |
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Crucible |
A vessel or melting pot of clay or graphite used for melting and calcining substances requiring a high degree of heat, such as metals, ores, etc. |
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Cupel |
A small cup, shallow and porous (such as burned bones) used in assaying gold and silver. |
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Cupellation |
Refinement of gold or silver in a cupel by exposure to a high temperature in a draft or blast of air, by which the lead, copper, tin, etc., are oxidized and sink into the porous cupel. |
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Die |
A metal block or plate, often one of a pair, so ??? or shaped to give a certain desired form or in?? press and desired device on an object or surface by pressure or a blow, used in forging metal coining, etc. |
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Eagle |
A $10 gold piece. |
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Fineness |
Indicated proportion of pure metal in gold or silver. Fineness is usually expressed in thousandths; that is, pure metal is 1.000; U.S. gold is .900 fine. |
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Fluxer |
One who fuses metals and minerals. |
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Half eagle |
A $5.00 gold piece. |
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Ingot |
A mass of metal such as gold cast in a mold to get a convenient shape for storage or transportation, to be later remelted for casting or rolling. |
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Lathe |
A machine used for shaping an article. |
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Mattrass |
A round-bottomed glass flask having a long neck used in assaying metals. |
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Melt |
To melt or fuse ore, usually to separate the metals. |
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Milling cutter |
A tool-steel cutter used for shaping and dressing metal surfaces. |
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Milling press |
A machine used to smooth metals by pressure. |
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Mint mark |
A letter on the coin designating the mint in which it was struck. "D" was the mint mark for Dahlonega. |
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Mould |
A form for shaping and molding ingots. |
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Parting |
The separation of gold and silver when the two metals compose an alloy, whether native or artificial, for the purpose of obtaining the metals respectively, in the form of fine bars. (Bars containing 90% pure metal are generally considered fine bars.) |
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Planchet |
A flat piece of metal, especially a disk of metal ready to be stamped as a coin. |