Design Options & Minted Coins
Styles Include Silver Coins & Bronze Coins
There are countless options for creating a custom coin. Adding a diamond-cut edge can create the perfect frame for your design. Sequential numbering or engraved names are a great way to personalize each coin. Sandblasting and other textures can transform a simple background into a perfect depiction of a desert landscape or ocean floor.
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What should you know about designing a coin with all the right options?
One of the most important decisions you will make with regard to creating your custom coin is to plan on all the awesome options that can be added to your design. Your logo may lend itself to a particular plating style (ie: we find that silver works best for logos with a lot of white), or you might choose to use more than one metal finish (we call this “dual plating”) to create a truly spectacular and unique look for your item. Choosing a textured background can really enhance your design.
What should you know about minting a coin vs stamped coins?
What is the definition of minted coins? A mint has normally been known as a facility that makes coins that could be made into currency. And now, it refers to stamping coins or to get coins made along with the original definition. As a manufacturer of coins, to us means having a coin hydraulically pressed. Hydraulically pressed coins have a mirror-like finish with almost no imperfections. Stamped coins normally do have imperfections in the metal because of the die used to strike the coins. Logo coins normally are struck but in some cases, they are minted and the price per coin is substantially higher than die stamping or striking.
Our Three Most Requested Finishes
Antique Copper Finish
Antique Silver
Antique Bronze
2D vs 3D
One of the most frequently asked questions we hear is about the difference between a two-dimensional and three-dimensional coins. Two-dimensional coins really have two layers, a background and a raised surface which makes it perfect for a text-only or silhouette piece.
Three-dimensional coins have a sculpted look and can include details that just aren’t possible on a 2D coin. We recommend using 3D custom coins to depict nature scenes, humans and animal figures as it can provide the kind of detail that makes it look almost real.
Design Options
Adding Texture to Custom Coins
Adding texture to your coin, medallion or keychain is an excellent way to add dimension and contrast to your design. And when talking about a design which is rarely larger than 2″ in diameter, it is easy to understand how essential contrast can be. The texture is an inexpensive way to add another dimension to your custom created coin. It works especially well with landscapes that depict nature.
Often our clients will request a design without any color whatsoever. With these types of designs, it is critical to add some texture to distinguish the raised metal areas from the recessed metal areas. Sandblasting is our favorite and most commonly used texture, but we offer fun and distinct options from very fine sandblasting to checkerboard patterns and everything in between. Take a look at the texture wheel to the left to help you decide what might be the perfect enhancement for your coin.
Custom Shaped Coins
Custom shaped coins follow your design. No matter what shape it is, we can make it, even if it includes cut-out areas.
Usually, these custom minted coins are struck into brass or bronze metal, and can be cast if the design is predominantly three-dimensional. We can also adjust the thickness from one side to the other, or even make the coin follow an arch. Create a distinct custom coin by using spot epoxy on individual colors, and leave other areas without epoxy.
If you’re looking to create a custom coin that’s handy as well as unique, we can help you design your custom shaped coin to be a bottle opener. Just speak to one of our talented and experienced artists to get started on creating your custom design.
Offset Printed Coin
Shiny Silver Coins & Gold Plated With Sandblasting
Shiny Gold Plating
Shiny Silver Plating
Silver Coins
Our custom silver coins can also be made with a sandblasted background or a texture can be added to create a dimensional look and making the foreground stand out. We offer real silver plating as well as nickel silver and antique silver.
Gold Coins
Gold coins are normally die struck just like our silver coins. Plating is how we create our finishes and we double plate our coins so the gold plating is thick and will last. We currently do not make solid gold coins as the cost of gold change hourly and a solid gold coin is normally made by coin mints.
Sandblasting The Background
Sandblasting the background is a great option when you are looking to create a two-tone effect. Adding sandblasting to the background and recessed areas can add an amazing dimensionality to your design. This will give your design the contrast and an inexpensive way to add complexity to your design. It works especially well with landscapes that depict nature.
More Design Ideas
Transparent Enamel
Special Shapes
Cut-Outs
3D Sculpted
Sandblasting the background is a great option when you are looking to create a two-tone effect. Adding sandblasting to the background and recessed areas can add an amazing dimensionality to your design. This will give your design the contrast and an inexpensive way to add complexity to your design. It works especially well with landscapes that depict nature.
Custom Shaped Coins
Custom shaped coins follow your design. No matter what shape it is, we can make it, even if it includes cut-out areas. Usually, these custom created minted coins are struck into brass or bronze medal and can be cast if the design is predominantly three-dimensional. We can also adjust the thickness from one side to the other, or even make the coin follow an arch. Create a distinct custom coin by using spot epoxy on individual colors, and leave other areas without epoxy. If you’re looking to create a custom coin that’s handy as well as unique, we can help you design your custom shaped coin to be a bottle opener. Just speak to one of our talented and experienced artists to get started on creating your custom design.
Dual Plating: Created by adding a secondary metal finish to a coin, dual plated coins are commonly ordered when they require military emblems, three-dimensional areas, and recessed areas. This option is available on any of our custom created coins, and although the application of the additional plating adds a few days to the order, the result is extraordinary.
Custom Shaped & Dual Plated
Epoxy Coating
Epoxy gives your piece a smooth glass-like coating that can be applied at varying thicknesses. It makes a coin durable, clean, smooth, protecting the color and metal from fading, scratching, and tarnishing. We love it because whether it's a super thin tight fitting layer or piled on thick to create almost a dome over your custom designed coin or medallion, it always makes the design look GOOD. Really good!
Engraving
Custom engraving can be added to coins. Sequential numbers, serial numbers, words, phrases or names. It’s the perfect way to individualize and personalize your custom created minted coins. In some cases, engraving coins can save you hundreds of dollars in die fees. Be sure to ask the design expert about pricing and options for creating custom engraved coins. Engraving is a nice added option when it comes to adding consecutive numbering on geocoins and challenge coins.
Printed Coins
If you would like to have your design free of the metal borders separating the colors, this style might be the right choice for you. We can print directly on the surface of the coin using any Pantone color. Printed coins can have as many colors added to the surface by either offset printed your design or screen printing the colors.