Posted 09/02/2008 1:46 pm
Laminate means layers, the layer need not be of different materials. In the case of an alloy coin such as the copper cent the layers are created by the trapping of gas bubbles or foreign material within the ingot that is then rolled out to create the strip. The rolling elongates the bubbles or crushes the foreign material and results in layers of alloy separated from the rest of the alloy by the bubble or foreign material. If the bubble breaks trough to the surface of the strip you can get planchets and coins that have the layers of material peeling on the surface. If they remain trapped within the strip they can show on the edge of the coin if the blanking press cuts through the bubble, and if the bubble is large enough can result in a clamshell error or even a split planchet.
