The coiner
In the Middle Ages the minting of coins was a practice that was granted only by the king: only few cities had this honour in medieval Italy.
This activity predicted to have a place specially dedicated, generally a workshop inside the castle, placed under surveillance to ward off any thieves.
The medieval coins were mainly of three materials: gold, silver and alloy; the latter was a mixture of copper, zinc and various metals of low cost and easy availability, used for coins of lower value.
The artisan began to flatten by hammering an ingot of metal, making a sheet thickness required for the currency; then he passed to the foil cutter who, armed with special scissors, drew by hand all the blanks to be subjected to beating.
The flan was sandwiched between two cylinders, that a skilled engraver had slowly dug creating the obverse and reverse of the coin, and then with a powerful blow struck with a heavy hammer he's going to give the sides of the coin.
For thousands of years this ancient technique remained unchanged to the present day, using the mechanical presses instead of the hammer.
This activity predicted to have a place specially dedicated, generally a workshop inside the castle, placed under surveillance to ward off any thieves.
The medieval coins were mainly of three materials: gold, silver and alloy; the latter was a mixture of copper, zinc and various metals of low cost and easy availability, used for coins of lower value.
The artisan began to flatten by hammering an ingot of metal, making a sheet thickness required for the currency; then he passed to the foil cutter who, armed with special scissors, drew by hand all the blanks to be subjected to beating.
The flan was sandwiched between two cylinders, that a skilled engraver had slowly dug creating the obverse and reverse of the coin, and then with a powerful blow struck with a heavy hammer he's going to give the sides of the coin.
For thousands of years this ancient technique remained unchanged to the present day, using the mechanical presses instead of the hammer.