The production of gold coins and bars is a fascinating blend of ancient metallurgy and modern precision engineering. Whether you're setting up a small workshop or planning large-scale industrial production, understanding the complete manufacturing process—from raw metal to finished product—is essential. This guide walks you through every step, highlighting the specialized machinery required, including continuous casting machines, rolling mills, blanking presses, and hydraulic stamping machines.

The Starting Point: Raw Gold to Metal Strips

Every gold coin or bar begins its journey in a furnace. The raw gold—often in the form of grains, scrap, or even large 400-ounce bars—is melted at extremely high temperatures . Once the metal reaches molten form, it's ready for casting.

Modern operations use continuous casting machines rather than traditional ingot molds. These machines offer several critical advantages :

• Uniform thickness across the entire length of the cast strip

• Minimal metal waste compared to individual ingot casting

• Improved efficiency with continuous operation

• Smooth surfaces and high-density blanks

Rolling Mills - Achieving Precise Thickness

Refining the Metal Strips

Once you have your cast strips, the next challenge is achieving the exact thickness required for your coins or bars. This is where rolling mills (also called rolling machines) become essential .

Rolling mills work by passing the metal strips through pairs of rollers under immense pressure. Each pass reduces the thickness slightly while increasing the length of the strip. This process continues until the metal reaches the precise specifications needed for blanking .

Key Benefits of Professional Rolling Mills

Blanking Press - Punching Out the Shapes

Creating Coin Blanks (Planchets)

With your metal strips rolled to the correct thickness, it's time for the blanking press. This machine functions much like a sophisticated hole-punch, but on an industrial scale .

The blanking press uses hardened steel dies to punch circular discs—called planchets or blanks—from the continuous metal strip . These blanks are the foundation of your finished coins.

What Makes a Good Blanking Press?

Equipment manufacturers Yihuicasting offer hydraulic blanking presses specifically engineered for precious metals. Key features include :

• High cycling speeds suitable for volume production

• Multi-functionality through interchangeable dies

• High precision with robust mechanical structure

• User-friendly operation with automatic control systems

• Strong adaptability for various metals and thicknesses

Hydraulic Stamping Press - Bringing Designs to Life

The Heart of Coin Manufacturing

This is the moment when blanks become coins. The hydraulic stamping press (also called a coin press or minting press) imprints the design onto both sides of the blank simultaneously .

How Stamping Works

The press uses two hardened steel cylinders called dies—one containing the negative of the coin's front (obverse), the other the back (reverse) . These dies are mounted in the press, one above the blank and one below. When activated, the press brings them together with tremendous force, squeezing the metal into the die cavities .

Types of Stamping Presses

Modern manufacturers offer various press configurations :