Thanks for that link, Alpha. Interesting info in that article. Farther down it says:
Quote:
The 3-inch coins are being struck at the rate of 13 coins per minute, based on three strikes per coin at a striking speed of 39 coins per minute.
The actual number of coins struck per minute is much lower since each blank is hand-fed between the coinage dies in the coinage press and removed by hand after being struck into a coin.
All 100,000 coins maximum will be struck on blanks hand-fed into the press by press operators wearing cotton gloves.
And there is only one press capable of producing the 3-inch silver Proofs, the same press used to strike the 5-ounce silver American the Beautiful quarter dollars in bullion and Uncirculated versions.
Harrigal said each coin is inspected after striking for defects and the dies are cleaned frequently to remove grease and prevent debris build-up.
The dies are oriented in the press horizontally, with the obverse die being the moving upper hammer die, and the reverse being the lower, stationary anvil die.
The 1.5-inch silver dollars, the gold coins and the copper-nickel clad half dollars are being struck on Graebener GMP 360 coinage presses with the same die alignment as the 3-inch silver versions.
The Proof and Uncirculated 1.5-inch silver dollars and Proof 3-inch silver dollar will be produced at the Philadelphia Mint with the P Mint mark.
The 1.5-inch silver dollars have a maximum combined authorized mintage of 400,000 coins.
Presses will be able to produce 500 to 600 coins per hour, with the Proof coins receiving three strikes each at 185 metric tons per strike.
U.S. Mint officials have not disclosed the number of strikes nor tonnage per strike for the Uncirculated versions of the $5 gold, 1.5 inch silver dollar and copper-nickel clad half dollar coins. The Proof and Uncirculated gold $5 coins will bear the W Mint mark of the West Point Mint where the gold coins will be struck.
The Proof gold coins will receive three strikes at 70 metric tons of pressure per strike.
For the copper-nickel clad half dollars, with a maximum potential mintage of 750,000 coins, the Proof version will be struck at the San Francisco Mint and bear the S Mint mark, and the Uncirculated versions, struck at the Denver Mint, will carry the D Mint mark.
Three strikes will be required for the Proof version, at 130 metric tons per strike.
Either my math is off or there is some disagreement in this data. In any case, it looks like all the Apollo proof coins are struck three times. I think I read somewhere that proof coins receive two strikes. I'm wondering if the third pressing is because of the curved planchet, or if three pressings are now standard practice. Or, if the change in composition has anything to do with it.
Edit: My math wasn't off - my reading comprehension was off...
"Nummi rari mira sunt, si sumptus ferre potes." - Christophorus filius Scotiae
Edited by Bump111
02/22/2019 4:43 pm
Posted 02/20/2019 3:42 pm
