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  • Challenge Coin

    Challenge Coins and a Splash of Color

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    Challenge Coins Offer a Unique Colorization Opportunity   Our digital colorization capabilities are unmatched in the industry.  We can color the entire coin, parts of the coin and both sides if desired.  Our skilled craftsmen and designers can even place a picture that is not part of the minted piece, directly on the round. This art on coins becomes even more complex when considering the size of the canvas.  The rounds we can colorize vary from 2.50” down to 1.25” in diameter, not a lot of space to paint The Last Supper.  Placing real-world colors on these collectibles increase their level of uniqueness and desirability.    These colored rounds make […]

  • Font Size examples on a 1.54" coin

    How Small is Too Small When it Comes to Coin Text Size?

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    How Small is Too Small When it Comes to Coin Text Size? Osborne’s custom coins range in size from 0.984″ (slightly larger than a quarter) to 3.00″. Our most popular is 1.54″ or about the size of a silver dollar. The size of the coin influences how big the text can be, as does the image on the coin. It’s important to determine what’s important when you design a coin – is the image more salient than the text, is the text a dominant part of the design or an after thought, are the text and the image equally important? These are things to think about when you visualize your […]

  • How to Tell the Difference Between Page Turn and Coin Turn

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    Telling the difference between page turn and coin turn can be done simply and easily with the change in your wallet.  Coin Turn Using a US quarter as an example, hold it between your thumb and 1st finger so that George Washington and the text (the obverse in coin lingo) is right side up and pretend there’s a line or string going down through the coin from top to bottom, similar to an axis. Now take your other hand and spin the coin from right to left on that axis, WITHOUT letting go of it. The back side (or reverse) should be facing you and it should be upside down. […]

  • Multiple Finish Options with 1 Pair of Dies

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    How Dies are Used in the Coin Making Process One of the benefits of die struck coins is that the same pair of dies can be used with different metals and finishes can be applied, giving a coin a whole new look. Thus, multiple finish options with 1 pair of dies. Coins are made with two dies – one die per side. Dies are round “blocks” of hardened metal with a flat top and a base shaped to lock into a coining press. The final image for the coin is cut – IN REVERSE – into the flat top of the die. The image can be 2 dimensional, multi-dimensional or […]

  • What’s the Difference Between Plain and Reeded Coin Edges?

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    Learn the Difference Between Plain and Reeded Edge Coins All coins have an edge. If you pull out the change in your pocket or wallet, you’ll notice that some of the edges are smooth, like on a penny or a nickel, and some have little ridges (or reeds) like on a dime or a quarter.  Custom coins are no different. When we mint coins, a blank metal disc is dropped into a collar. A collar  is a ring that keeps the metal from squirting out the sides with it is struck with the tons of force needed to produce a die struck coin. The inside edge of the collar can […]

  • American Indian Chief Collectible Coins circa 1979

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    My Silver American Indian Chiefs Set My father bought me a series of collectible pure silver rounds back in 1979 as a gift. I remember him saying to me, “If the price of silver goes up, you may be able to use these to put a down payment on a house.” WOW how times have changed, even at $48/ounce I am not sure the Native American coin set would work as a down payment. Each of these collectible rounds are 1 ounce, .999 fine silver and feature famous American Indian Leaders. The American Indian Leaders Historic Medal Collection has 48 rounds, complete with a wooden display/storage box and a series of individualized […]

  • Copper and Copper Alloys Kill Corona Viruses

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    Copper and Copper Alloys are Effective in the Fight Against Covid-19 and Other Viruses As we’ve all learned, the Corona Virus can live for hours, if not DAYS on surfaces like kitchen counters, door knobs and railings. These are surfaces that, depending on their location, could be touched by hundreds of people or more a day. Yes, cleaning regularly and thoroughly is a valid option, but what if there was a material that could be used that KILLED the virus, and you didn’t have to do anything to it? That material/metal exists – it is copper and copper alloys. The antimicrobial properties of copper have been noted since at the […]

  • LIncoln die and coin

    Osborne Coinage – A Legacy of Minting Success

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    In Mint Condition Osborne Coinage strikes millions of coins, tokens, medallion and numismatic quality silver and copper rounds every year.  In the last century, politicians often relied on the company to produce the inexpensive coins they gave away on the campaign trail. Abraham Lincoln needed Osborne’s help as he wrestled with the beard-or-no-beard question in 1864, during his second presidential campaign.  “He couldn’t decide how he was going to run, with or without the beard, so he had us make two sets (of coin dies) showing him each way,″ Jeff Stegman, CEO,  said. Both sets of dies still sit in the company vault. Osborne also made campaign coins for eight other presidential […]

  • In Mint Condition

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    PPB/December 2019/Factory Floor—Osborne Coinage Co.   In Mint Condition Osborne Coinage Co., America’s oldest private mint, continues to creates custom coins with a rich history and tangibility that have stood the test of time and tech.   By Danielle Renda   President Abraham Lincoln is arguably one of America’s most recognized and well-known presidents. This isn’t only because of his steadfast leadership during the Civil War and his progressive movement to emancipate slaves, or even that he was the tallest president to date, standing at six-foot-four inches; it’s because of his beard. Lincoln, who was also the first bearded president, had a distinct appearance that distinguished him from the other […]