Given our extensive experience and process synergy in the production of semi-finished jewelry and industrial products, and due to the advance of processes and equipment at Safina, we have also made significant progress in the production of blanks for the manufactures of coins, medals, stamps, badges, medallions and tokens.
Blanks for coins with value
Precious metals are a guarantee of the value preservation and a sign of the importance and quality of the product. The current trend in coins, medals or badges clearly shows that value and quality are essential for the appreciation of a customer, employee, colleague or partner. Therefore, Safina currently supply and are ready to offer blanks and other semi-finished products for minting where the final customer is from public, companies, government sector, bureaus or institutions.
The production of blanks is an essential step in the minting of coins or medals. The mints used to produce their own blanks in the past but the production of blanks is nowadays in the hands of specialized manufacturers, including Safina.
Our production of blanks is focused on the production of pure precious metals – silver, gold, platinum, palladium and their alloys. We supply these semi-finished products to domestic mints and the international coin industry, manufacturers of commemorative coins and medals or individual customers engaged in minting and engraving.
Precious metals are almost impervious to corrosion and have a long distribution life. In addition, these materials hold their value and can always be recovered, recycled and reused. Precious metals will never end up in junkyard and can always be sold to precious metal buyout companies, incl. Safina.
Production possibilities
It is important for manufacturers to be able to mint their own coins, medals, stamps, badges, medallions or tokens in high quality and with easy minting or further processing. Safina guarantee the purity of the materials and alloy composition, as well as we guarantee the correct weight of each blank, since each blank is weighted separately to ensure the correct weight. We are able to adjust the manufacturing processes to achieve the required hardness for suitable processing in stamping. At the same time, Safina has technologies where high material homogeneity, appropriate crystalline structure and grain size are guaranteed. After all, Safina has the entire production process in house. Thus, we have control over the input material, i.e. the raw precious metal, as well as the melting of the metal. All these procedures are under continuous control of the chemical purity of the material by our laboratory.
We offer blanks in various sizes. Punched bright and shiny blanks in thicknesses from 0.2 mm to 6.0 mm and diameters from 2.5 mm to 101 mm, which are suitable for stamping proof and proof-like quality.
We produce discs for high-weight medals or coins, e.g. from 0.5 kg to 20 kg. Our technology, which guarantees a suitable grain size, also allows these large blanks (discs) to be processed into proof and proof-like quality.
We also offer rolled blanks with a uniform surface or a matt finish, which are most often used for standard quality and therefore for uncirculated and bullion coins.
In addition to a wide range of sizes, we also provide custom blanks according to customer’s requirements, regarding dimensions, shapes and material.
The major production represents blanks from Ag 99.99%, Ag925 or Au 99.99%, Au 14k and Au 18k. However, Safina offers high quality Pd and Pt staples. Palladium and platinum are uncommon metals for minting, have high added value, require special processing and handling, but there is also significant increase of interest from mints and their customers.
Although the majority of blanks is made from pure silver, gold, sterling silver or coin silver, we specialize in blanks and semi-finished products made from extraordinary Ag alloys such as Ag80Cu, Ag75Cu, Ag68Cu, Ag50Cu or various alloys from precious metal and non-ferrous metals. The annealing of blanks according to requirements or delivery in the form of strips and cut sheets is a matter of course.
Production
Complete production process takes place directly in Safina, from metal melting, casting, rolling to pressing and final treatment.
The starting material for the production of semi-finished products is rolled metal strips. The thickness and alloy are specifically adapted to the technical parameters of the respective strips, which are based on the requirements for the final product – coins, medals, etc. It is crucial that the thickness of the strip is kept within strict tolerances since it is just the thickness of the strip that mainly influences the weight of the blank.
The final part of the production process is the pressing/punching of the blanks on pressing machines. The main component of the press is the punching tools consisting of clipping punch and blanking die. The tools are made specifically for each type of coin blank, either directly at Safina or more often by proven and experienced partners who specialize in very precise and high-end tools. The subsequent maintenance of the tools is carried out directly at Safina. Worn tools can be refurbished or modified to meet the strict requirements for dimensions, tolerances and cut quality due to the equipped tooling workshop and press shop. The presses punch with force of around 40 tons and up to 50 tons for the larger press. The maximum possible press force for some applications is up to 150 tons.
The blanks are subsequently treated. The main procedure is the removal of surface dirt and edge burrs. Edge turning, polishing and, in some cases for large discs, grinding is applied. Final cleaning with special chemicals follows. This gives the blanks a high gloss and they are finally prepared for suitable packaging. The choice of packaging depends on the type of blanks and the customer’s specifications; they can be packed in bags, in sets, in tubes, in caskets or individually vacuum sealed.
All blanks are continuously inspected during production. At the end of production, a final inspection of each piece is always carried out to ensure surface and edge quality as well as meeting the minimum weight or weight tolerance requirements of the blanks.
Production process
- Preparation of pure metal or alloy and melting
- Material casting (continuous or in Ingot/plate)
- Grinding and forming
- Rolling
- Preparation material for final processing
- Pressing/Punching
- Treatment (deburring, grinding, polishing)
- Inspection + sorting
- Packing
Materials
- Ag 99.9% – 99.99%
- Au 99.9% – 99.999%
- Ag92.5Cu
- Ag90Cu
- Ag/Cu
- Au 14k (585/1000)
- Au 18k (750/1000)
- Au98.6Cu
- Pt 99.95% – 99.99%
- Pd 99.95%
We are happy to offer
We are happy to offer blanks from our wide portfolio of sizes and materials. We are ready to advise, for example, on the choice of materials and their properties, surface and grain size. We will support your future product development. Please contact us for details at any time.
