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Coin production waste, silver

This leftover silver waste with marks of three struck coins from Örebro medieval mint shows how bracteate minting on silver plate was done. Bracteates are coins that are struck on only one side, with a single die.

The silver plate was placed on a soft lead base, on which an engraved iron die was fixed. With a strong hammer blow, a round coin was formed. This was continued over the whole plate.

The mintmaster's task was to maintain the correct silver content and to calculate the exact thickness of the coin blank in relation to the dimensions and final weight of the coin according to the applicable coinage regulations.

Image rights: Helena Bonnevier, Ekonomiska museet - Kungliga myntkabinettet/SHM (CC BY 4.0)

Object number: 3102051

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