Coin Ring Hole Exactly Centered - Secret Revealed

The very first step towards creating a coin ring from a flat round coin is - you must somehow make a small hole in the center of the coin.

Now you can accomplish this one of two basic methods. You can punch the hole with a punch and die set; or alternatively you can drill a hole in it. Or, I suppose you could punch a small hole and then drill it out to make it larger. In either case, you end up with a hole in the coin which then makes it possible to fit it over the end of a tapered mandrel.

Once you have it started over the end of your mandrel; you can then begin the hammering and folding process. And, this hammering and folding process can go on for quite some time.  At least this is the typical "Hammer and Mandrel Process" you see demonstrated in all kinds of various YouTube videos and other instructional materials on the Internet. (Note: Although this is the typical process you see demonstrated the most; it may not be the only technique for achieving the desired end result...)

However, regardless of how any particular coin ring maker/artist develops their own coin rings; ideally the hole being exactly centered in the geometric center of the coin will produce the most dimensionally perfectly sized and shaped coin ring. That is, the width of the resulting band of metal will be exactly the same around the entire circumference of the finished ring.

Knowing this desire, or requirement, for a perfectly centered starting hole, a few clever entrepreneurs have discovered it might be more lucrative to sell hole punching devices to coin ring makers, than to actually make and sell coin rings. These devices, though cleverly designed and very effective, are extremely expensive (at least I think they are).  Of course they are machined from steel bar stock, and machining costs are not cheap these days.

Well, I promised to reveal the secret of "the exactly centered hole"; and so I shall. There is no denying that producing a coin ring with precisely the same width of band around the entire circumference - does in fact ideally require that the hole be positioned exactly in the center of the coin. However, the secret is; the hole really can be off from exact center and still the coin ring can be fashioned with the same width of band around the entire circumference. Thus, it is entirely fool-hearty to obsess over the task of exactly centering the hole. The reason it is not that important is because the ring maker has at least two separate opportunities to fix an off-center hole before the ring is completed.

The first is done with a round file before the forming process is started. At this point, the maker/artist merely files the off-center hole until it is slightly larger and centered.

The second is done with a flat file after the forming process is completed. The flat file is used on the cut edge to adjust the ring width until it is the same all the way around.

Both of these methods work extremely well - and are obviously a great deal cheaper than investing in expensive machined hole-punching devices.

How To Make Double-Sided Coin Rings - #5

Next comes the fun part.  You can put down your hammer and mandrel and start finishing the now fully shaped coin ring.

There are at least two ways you can finish inside and outside surfaces of the ring. Generally, the annealing process will leave a certain amount of colored residue on the outside surface of the coin.  Depending on what the base metal is, the color of this "jewelers scale" will range from dark grey (almost black) to a lighter range of grey or possibly a brown color. In either case, you may finish the coin so that much of the background retains the darker color; or alternatively you can choose to polish the entire surface to a mirror finish.  The choice is yours.

If you leave a lot of the color in the background of the coin, the details of the original engraving will be more prominent. To acheive this finish you need to first lightly sand only the tops of the highlights with a very fine grit sand paper or emery paper. Then apply some metal polish to the ring and polish until the highlights and edges are quite shiny and prominent. This leaves the background darker.

Alternatively if you want to go for the mirror finish; use a fine steel wool and polish the entire surface of the coin, thereby removing much of the background color as well as polishing the highlights. Then apply some metal polish and buff the ring until it reaches a mirror finish. One of the most popular metal polish products is called Mothers Mag & Aluminum Polish. It is usually available anywhere auto supplies are sold.

The details on the inside of the coin ring may be finished in the same manner as those on the outside of the coin.

There is also something known as a Jewelers Polishing Cloth. This cloth is actually a two-part item where one half of the cloth is impregnated with a metal polish, while the other half is merely a buffing cloth. The shine of any ring can be restored with this type of cloth.

This completes this series of postings. Bear in mind, I have iterated only the very basic steps and most coin ring craftsmen will use them as a start and then modify and alter them to form their own techniques and methods.

Also, there are several good videos on YouTube that describe this basic process or some form of it. I would recommend if you are just starting, to watch one or more of the available videos. Here are a couple that will get you started. My coin rings are available at Ross Coin Rings  or Ross Coin Rings Etsy Shop

How To Make Double-Sided Coin Rings - #4

The next step in the creation of a double-sided coin ring is a process known as annealing the coin, in order to soften it. Annealing the coin is where you hold the coin in the flame of a propane torch until it just begins to glow. If the coin is copper, bronze or nickel-copper clad, you need to heat it up until it glows a bright cherry red. If the coin is Silver or 90% Silver it only needs to turn a dark red color. Generally, this step is done in a darkened or semi-darkened room in order to see the color changes more easily. A pair of locking forceps or jewelers tweezers are used to hold the coin in the flame.

Once the correct color is reached, remove it from the flame and let it cool naturally for a few seconds; then dunk it in a small container of water in order to finish cooling it to a point where you can safely handle it. (This annealing step will need to be repeated several times until the final shape is achieved.) Please note the annealing step will cause the coin to end up with a blackish (or brownish) scale after annealing. This is normal, and it will be used to create highlights during the final finishing and polishing step.

With the coin annealed, slip it over the small end of your ring mandrel. If you have drilled or punched a hole approximately 1/2" in diameter, it should just fit over the tip of the mandrel. Using your composition hammer (plastic, leather or nylon) begin hammering the edge of the coin, causing it to bend down and move down the mandrel. Do this lightly at first, because the coin is very soft. Try to hammer evenly around the entire perimeter of the coin. Gradually, the coin will begin to fold down closer to the mandrel, and will resemble a cone shape. As you hammer the coin, the metal will "work harden" and eventually you will need to repeat the annealing step. After you remove the coin the first time, you will want to file the cut edge until it is fairly smooth all around. This will keep the coin from splitting as you continue forming it down the mandrel.

Keep repeating this hammering step and annealing step until the outside perimeter of the coin is nearly touching the surface of the mandrel.

Anneal the coin once more. This time when you put it on the mandrel; place it so the cone shape is the reverse of how you have been placing it on the mandrel. That is with the large end of the cone facing up instead of down.  Now, keep hammering the perimeter of the coin until it flattens against the outside of the mandrel. Keep in mind you may have to anneal it again before it can be flattened completely against the mandrel.

In the next posting I will explain how to finish the coin ring.

How To Make Double-Sided Coin Rings - #2

The entire basic concept of creating a double-sided coin ring revolves around starting with a flat object (a coin), and transforming it to a circular ring shaped object. The transformation will result in the features on one side of the coin to be visible on the outside of the ring band; while the features on the other side of the coin are visible on the inside of the ring.  Refer to the picture here as an example.

There are four basic steps to achieve this transformation from coin to ring. They are listed below:

• Removing some metal from the center of the coin
• Softening the metal (annealing)
• Shaping or forming the metal
• Finishing and polishing

Each of the four steps above, involve certain basic tools in order to complete the process.  The following list represents the minimum set of tools. It should be noted that although each coin ring craftsman start out with this minimum set of tools; as they gain experience, develop and refine their own techniques and methods, generally they will add other tools to suit their own needs.

The basic set of tools involve the following:

• A metal punch or drill (or both)
• Small propane torch
• Small selection of metal files, ie. rat-tail, flat mill bastard
• A nylon, leather or plastic hammer
• A hardened steel tapered mandrel
• Two or three different grits of sand paper and some steel wool
• Metal polish and/or metal polishing cloth

In the next part of this instructional material, I will cover how these basic tools are used to create a coin ring.

How To Make Double-Sided Coin Rings - #1

Just to be sure everyone understands the term "double-sided", it will next be defined. Coin rings have been fabricated for literally decades previous to this current flurry of interest. But it is only recently that the technique known as "double-sided" has gained in popularity. Probably the last 10 or 12 years.

Rather than repeat what I have already written on this subject, I would refer to a page that is located on my Ross Coin Rings website.  If you will click on this link, it will open a specific page on my website, that talks briefly about the history surrounding the making of coin rings.

In essence then, a "double-sided" coin ring refers to a ring made from some type (or denomination) of coinage, whereby details of the original coin engraving are visible both on the outside of the band as well as the inside of the band. It should be pointed out that some "makers" tend to ignore the details on the inside of the band, and usually destroy most if not all of them because of their methods of fabrication. In those instances, the inside of the band ends up perfectly smooth or nearly smooth, leaving only the details on the outside of the band to be visible.  Of course these examples could not rightfully be considered double-sided, according to the above definition.

I should mention there is one other type of ring that is termed as a "coin ring", and these consist of the entire coin being attached to or set in the top of a ring mounting. In these rings, the coin is not damaged or changed in shape, but it is merely captured and set into the top bezel of a manufactured ring.

The next part of this discussion will begin to describe how to get started, if you are interested in trying to make a coin ring for yourself or as a gift to someone. There are certain basic tools that you will need to obtain, and you will need to learn certain basic procedures.

Not All Coin Rings Are Quality Products

It is interesting to me when I see so many "wanna-be" coin ring makers attempting to peddle their initial products to the public. Seems just about every hobbyist that views the typical YouTube instructional video decides they will capitalize on the hobby by quickly hammering out a ring and selling it on eBay. Unfortunately, it is really not that simple to produce a quality piece of jewelry that will exhibit the true mark of an artistic craftsman.

Here is just one example (picture) of what I am talking about. The typical hobbyist, armed only with a plastic hammer, a ring mandrel and a flat file, can generally hammer the edges of a quarter over the tapered mandrel in a matter of a few minutes. Then they file some of the sharp corners with a rasp file and Presto! their ring is ready for the auction block on eBay. This is hardly the work of a true artistic craftsman; and it definitely shows.

Of all the many coin ring makers today, there are really only a very few artistic craftsmen that take pride in the time and effort that goes into each piece they create. In addition the recipient/customer can easily appreciate the work that resulted in a beautiful and elegant piece of handcrafted jewelry, and themselves are proud to wear and show it off.

Certainly, a handsomely crafted coin ring requires a wide range of hand tools; not just a hammer, a mandrel and a file. But more importantly, a quality crafted coin ring is really the culmination of a great deal of time and experience, not just a tool set. The time expended in order to hone artistic skills is usually measured in years, not minutes or days. Of course natural talent plays an important role in the development of any artistic endeavor. For me personally, my interest in expressing myself artistically started to emerge when I was in grade school. And, looking back over all the intervening years, the bulk of my endeavors centered around crafts and hobbies involving some form of artistic expression.

Each coin ring I produce involves a great deal of time and concentration because it must first satisfy my own high standards for quality, beauty and elegance. Only then am I confident that it will be representative as a coin ring crafted by me... Ross of Ross Coin Rings.

What do Coin Rings and the NSA have in common?

NSA are the initials for a government organization known as the National Security Agency.  They are located on the edge of Ft. Geo G. Meade in Maryland. The National Security Agency/Central Security Service (NSA/CSS) is home to America's codemakers and codebreakers. By its very nature, what NSA/CSS does as a key member of the Intelligence Community requires a high degree of confidentiality. The NSA could easily be thought of as the most secret government organization in all the USA.

Probably you are not seeing any obvious links between the NSA and the "art" of crafting coin rings.  Well, when I first got interested in learning how to make a ring from a coin - I had no idea that I was about to enter a world of "black art" and closely guarded secrets, similar at least in nature to the NSA.

Nevertheless, as I probed the Internet to learn what knowledge was available to me; it did not take me long to figure out that only a small handful of coin ring makers actually know the secret  "guarded fabrication techniques" - and NONE of them were divulging any of their special techniques, tools and methods.  Similar I guess to the way craftsmen at craft shows guard and protect their methods and designs. Now, of course if you look on YouTube, you will find a nice selection of videos, wherein it "appears" the authors are explaining how to make a ring from a piece of currency.  In ALL the videos I've seen; they all plainly describe what I would call The Hammer and Mandrel Technique. Further, the unsuspecting novice has not a clue that what they are being taught is really a very primitive and basic method; quite common knowledge throughout the Internet, and has been for several years.

And, if the novice follows this "common" technique (to the letter), their resultant coin rings will come out looking like 95% of the coin rings you see for sale on Etsy, Ebay and other sites on the Internet.  However, the other 5% of the coin rings, made by that handful of coin ring makers, that know the secret "guarded fabrication techniques", look NOTHING like the other 95%.  Their coin rings look beautiful, most have a rounded or domed shape and are perfectly finished. While the other 95% have been made with the "hammer and mandrel technique", and come out having a definite cone or wedge shape (such as the one pictured here), they retain details on the outside but very few on the inside and a finish that is only mediocre at best. Naturally, most of the 95% would like to know the secrets used by the 5%. And therein lies the problem (for the 95%) - the 5% ain't talking; kind of like the folks that work for the NSA.

Now for most of the 95%, they still turn out their "kind" of coin rings. They sell a few now and again, but they also end up giving them away. Then there are a few of us, new to the craft, that are determined to learn the secret techniques (and tools), either from someone who leaks them to us, or merely by our own trials and errors. You see, to a few of us determined individuals, finding out that "hidden information" is keeping us from turning out a more admirable product is like pouring gasoline on a fire. It just makes us all that much more determined and resolute in our quest for "the holy grail" - so to speak. And, no matter which way we learn the "secrets"; it is hard-fought for information, hence we become part of the 5%, with our lips sealed, and the saga continues. 

It is interesting really to see the lengths that some will go to in order to keep their secrets from becoming known. I'm pretty sure I could never stoop this low but here is just one example that I know of, and I'm sure there are others. One of the "senior" members of that 5% group actually puts out instructional videos (YouTube) and other information on his blog. When a novice finds this information, and views the videos, they truly believe what they are being told. They follow the instructions to the letter, because the coin rings this fellow sells are beautiful. Yet, when they follow the instructions and the videos, they always end up with a sub-standard result; kind of like the one pictured above. Do you know why they can never get the "beautiful" result?  It is quite simple really; this particular maker holds back his secret techniques, tools and methods. All he really gives out is the same old Hammer and Mandrel Technique. That way, no matter how closely the novice follows his instructions - they can NEVER produce anything but a sub-standard coin ring.  Thus, that senior member of the 5% has protected his secret for all time. That is kind of an extreme case of protecting the secret techniques and tools.  But, I suppose it is cheaper than applying for a US Patent.

Some of the others belonging to the 5% merely get on discussion boards, or post video instructions where they pretend to give out some information, but in reality they are not sharing anything that cannot be found in hundreds of other places on the Internet, and are really excerpts, bits and pieces of the Hammer and Mandrel Technique.   Or, sometimes I've seen them just taunt the novice coin ring maker by showing them some really beautiful coin rings and then brag that they know the "secrets" and they are not giving them up.

Well, now you know what Coin Rings and the NSA have in common.  They are both very secret organizations.  So, in reading this particular posting, did you discern which group (5% or 95%) I am in?  Well, certainly I started out in the 95% group - but today I could be in the 5% group. I can't really divulge any more than that.... sorry... <grin>.