Costs for Shipping Dies

[+Degai]

I made a personal coin and like everyone else who has had a coin made, I had to pay for the die. (Actually, for some reason [maybe because I bought it], I thought the die would come back to me with my coins; I did pay for the die to be made.) Why shouldn't I be able to have something I paid for? It is my property. I love mechanical things and I thought it would make a nice display to have my coin and the die together.

 

I had the coin made at Hogwild and I asked Sharon to find out what it would cost to ship the die to me. She quoted me $130! She said that was pretty much cost. I must admit, I was in shock when I saw that price. That was more than it cost to send the coins! Is the coin company ripping me off? Is this reasonable? (I certainly don't think so!)

 

So here's what I would like to know:

Have any of you gotten your die(s) after you had a coin made?

Do you remember what you paid for shipping?

How big are the coin dies?

If you didn't get the die(s) was it because the shipping was too much?

Are getting personal coin dies different from getting coin dies that are manufactured for sale to the general public?

Am I the only person that ever wanted to have a coin die?

 

I am just curious about this issue. Don't quote me on this, but I think Sharon told me something about the coin manufacturers don't want you to take the die and get another coin made elsewhere. I wouldn't do that because I'm not going to get more of these coins made but on the other hand, it is none of their business what I do with MY die.

 

Can anyone out there enlighten me on this subject? Am I missing something here?

[ELTADA]

What an interesting question! I can't really provide any useful information except to wonder if the high shipping cost has to do with the weight of the die.

 

I did not get my coin die but I didn't really explore getting it -- didn't think of it to be honest...though it would be very cool to have!

 

Curious to see what others say...

[+The Moop Along]

I made a personal coin and like everyone else who has had a coin made, I had to pay for the die. (Actually, for some reason [maybe because I bought it], I thought the die would come back to me with my coins; I did pay for the die to be made.) Why shouldn't I be able to have something I paid for? It is my property. I love mechanical things and I thought it would make a nice display to have my coin and the die together.

 

I had the coin made at Hogwild and I asked Sharon to find out what it would cost to ship the die to me. She quoted me $130! She said that was pretty much cost. I must admit, I was in shock when I saw that price. That was more than it cost to send the coins! Is the coin company ripping me off? Is this reasonable? (I certainly don't think so!)

 

So here's what I would like to know:

Have any of you gotten your die(s) after you had a coin made?

Do you remember what you paid for shipping?

How big are the coin dies?

If you didn't get the die(s) was it because the shipping was too much?

Are getting personal coin dies different from getting coin dies that are manufactured for sale to the general public?

Am I the only person that ever wanted to have a coin die?

 

I am just curious about this issue. Don't quote me on this, but I think Sharon told me something about the coin manufacturers don't want you to take the die and get another coin made elsewhere. I wouldn't do that because I'm not going to get more of these coins made but on the other hand, it is none of their business what I do with MY die.

 

Can anyone out there enlighten me on this subject? Am I missing something here?

 

1. Have any of you gotten your die(s) after you had a coin made? -- NO, never wanted any.

2. Do you remember what you paid for shipping? -- YES

3. How big are the coin dies? -- Relatively small, but super heavy.

4. If you didn't get the die(s) was it because the shipping was too much? --NO, see #1

5. Are getting personal coin dies different from getting coin dies that are manufactured for sale to the general public? -- NO

6. Am I the only person that ever wanted to have a coin die? -- NO

 

Notice I threw in a yes. Not because I got any of my personal coin dies (3 personals, btw ). It's because we had one of our GeoCoinClub dies shipped over here to an artist. I recall discussing that we wouldn't be doing that again anytime soon, because of the cost. If I can find the cost, I'll post it.

 

P.S. The artist is a regular here, maybe they'll remember

 

TMA

[+Mauison]

Someone (I think it was Nero) once posted that they bought their personal geocoin dies. They posted photos of the dies and they were huge compared to the size of a geocoin. And they weigh A LOT. So just shipping alone by air would make most of the $130 you were quoted.

[+The Moop Along]

Oh yeah, and my opinion on the subject. $130 sounds very likely. Seeing shipping info from those folks (mints) weekly. Does it really cost $130 to send it? Maybe, maybe not. But I wouldn't be shocked if that was the quote.

 

TMA

[+The Moop Along]

Someone (I think it was Nero) once posted that they bought their personal geocoin dies. They posted photos of the dies and they were huge compared to the size of a geocoin. And they weigh A LOT. So just shipping alone by air would make most of the $130 you were quoted.

 

I forgot about Nero getting his dies. I bet we could find that post somewhere. Thx Mauison

[+Renegade Knight]

...

So here's what I would like to know:

Have any of you gotten your die(s) after you had a coin made?

Do you remember what you paid for shipping?

How big are the coin dies?

If you didn't get the die(s) was it because the shipping was too much?

Are getting personal coin dies different from getting coin dies that are manufactured for sale to the general public?

Am I the only person that ever wanted to have a coin die?...

 

Not yet. My die shipping quote was very expensive. Most coin makers will destroy the die upon request, and send proof of that as it's far cheaper than shipping the die.

 

How big are the dies? I don't know how big they are but consider the job. You take a blob of metal and smash it into shape using the dies. They work like anvils. Thus have to be large enough to take the beating and have enough mass so they do the smashing well enough to form the coin.

 

You aren't the first to want your die, and you aren't the first to see the price and realize it's pretty expensive.

[SCP-173]

Why not ask if they'll ship it the slowest, cheapest way possible? It's not like the coins, I doubt you're chomping at the bit to have the dies right this moment.

Edited September 11, 2009 by Vargseld? ™

[+DaFunkyFrogs]

when we had our personals made, Jim @ Castle Coins & Pins told us it was very expensive to have the dies shipped to us...

[+GPX Navigators]

Dressel Dargons had one of their dies with them at Bash. They are much bigger than the coin, and as stated above, very heavy. Considering it is international shipping, that cost seems fair to me.

 

BTW - Dressels "recycled" their die and made some awesome sig items from it. If I can find the ones we got, will post a pic later, unless LeNore sees this first.

[+LadyBee4T]

At MWGB a couple of years ago I saw the die that Chris Mackey brought with him. After seeing that I asked about having my die shipped to me so I could make sig items. I was told it would be at least $80 and probably more. The reason was that the mint overnights everything they send out and that couldn't be changed. the combination of the weight and the overnight mail came to big bucks....

[+Degai]

Thanks for all the comments so far.

 

If anyone has a picture of a coin die, could they post it? Until I see the picture, so I know the size, I still can't believe it would cost so much more to ship the die than the coins, unless it is really, really huge.

 

Also, I just want to make it clear that I didn't doubt what Sharon told me, I was just questioning the mint.

[+Degai]

Why not ask if they'll ship it the slowest, cheapest way possible? It's not like the coins, I doubt you're chomping at the bit to have the dies right this moment.

Good idea. I wonder if they could do it and what kind of costs would be involved in that?

[+Degai]

How big are the dies? I don't know how big they are but consider the job. You take a blob of metal and smash it into shape using the dies. They work like anvils. Thus have to be large enough to take the beating and have enough mass so they do the smashing well enough to form the coin.

 

I did not know the metal was smashed into shape; working like anvils. I thought they were like molds and that melted metal was pored into the die, then excess metal was "squeezed" out of the die. That's what I love about the forums, I'm always learning new stuff! Thanks, Renegade Knight!

Edited September 11, 2009 by Degai

[+ThirstyMick]

Dressel Dargons had one of their dies with them at Bash. They are much bigger than the coin, and as stated above, very heavy. Considering it is international shipping, that cost seems fair to me.

 

BTW - Dressels "recycled" their die and made some awesome sig items from it. If I can find the ones we got, will post a pic later, unless LeNore sees this first.

 

I found one of the sig items they made from their die, in a cache it IS awesome

[+GATOULIS]

WOW! I would love to see a die from close!

 

Well... it is so expensive becasue they are solid iron or steal... so they are very heavy!!! they are making them like that so they will not break from use!

 

Now I would like to ask you something.....

 

So... you make a coin and you do not take your die, right?

If the coin becomes a very popular or expensive and most wanted coin.... what stops the ones who have the die to mint more coins and sell them in ebay???

 

Ok... I know... the companies who are minting coins are ok, but where money and profit exists.....

 

China is No 1 country in making fake expensive coins! some are so good that you can not see if it is a fake or not, unless you weight it or destroy it to see if the metal (silve or gold) is solid! I am collecting coins and banknotes for 26 years, so I know.....

 

It is even possible that till the time you find out that the mintage of your coin is not the one you know but others exist too..... it may be too late!!!

 

Except that, the guys who have the die, can make other compinations too, just for the profit..... It is a mess!!!

 

anyway... can you imagine that someone has the die of moun10bike coin and suddently we will start seeing many coins out there??? Oh!!!

[+Droo]

WOW! I would love to see a die from close!

 

Well... it is so expensive becasue they are solid iron or steal... so they are very heavy!!! they are making them like that so they will not break from use!

 

Now I would like to ask you something.....

 

So... you make a coin and you do not take your die, right?

If the coin becomes a very popular or expensive and most wanted coin.... what stops the ones who have the die to mint more coins and sell them in ebay???

 

Ok... I know... the companies who are minting coins are ok, but where money and profit exists.....

 

China is No 1 country in making fake expensive coins! some are so good that you can not see if it is a fake or not, unless you weight it or destroy it to see if the metal (silve or gold) is solid! I am collecting coins and banknotes for 26 years, so I know.....

 

It is even possible that till the time you find out that the mintage of your coin is not the one you know but others exist too..... it may be too late!!!

 

Except that, the guys who have the die, can make other compinations too, just for the profit..... It is a mess!!!

 

anyway... can you imagine that someone has the die of moun10bike coin and suddently we will start seeing many coins out there??? Oh!!!

There have been rumours of samples and mistakes sold off on Ebay by third parties who allegedly bought lots of discarded coins from the mints. Several nationalities were mentioned, not all Chinese. The truth in this has always been elusive.

[+GATOULIS]

WOW! I would love to see a die from close!

 

Well... it is so expensive becasue they are solid iron or steal... so they are very heavy!!! they are making them like that so they will not break from use!

 

Now I would like to ask you something.....

 

So... you make a coin and you do not take your die, right?

If the coin becomes a very popular or expensive and most wanted coin.... what stops the ones who have the die to mint more coins and sell them in ebay???

 

Ok... I know... the companies who are minting coins are ok, but where money and profit exists.....

 

China is No 1 country in making fake expensive coins! some are so good that you can not see if it is a fake or not, unless you weight it or destroy it to see if the metal (silve or gold) is solid! I am collecting coins and banknotes for 26 years, so I know.....

 

It is even possible that till the time you find out that the mintage of your coin is not the one you know but others exist too..... it may be too late!!!

 

Except that, the guys who have the die, can make other compinations too, just for the profit..... It is a mess!!!

 

anyway... can you imagine that someone has the die of moun10bike coin and suddently we will start seeing many coins out there??? Oh!!!

There have been rumours of samples and mistakes sold off on Ebay by third parties who allegedly bought lots of discarded coins from the mints. Several nationalities were mentioned, not all Chinese. The truth in this has always been elusive.

 

WOW! Other countries?? Well..For real coins, China is No1 in counterfeiting coins! Now in geocoins.....

I have photos of dies fo fake coins from china, how they make them etc! We are talking that they are do profecional work! ...and that is bad for the collectors....

 

Coin collectors avoid to buy expensive coins from china just because they are so afraid fo the fakes! BUT... if you buy a coin from there and then you sell it, I will buy the coin from an American, so... things get.....

 

It is a mess!!!

 

so... this problem exists in geocoins!!!!!! That's bad!!!

[+GATOULIS]

I forgot to mention that I just made an example about coins and selling buying.... ok?

[+DresselDragons]

We did get our dies last January. I think we were quoted ~$85 to have our dies shipped to us. TMOCM decided to get his too, so we had them shipped together, hoping it would reduce the overall cost to ship both. It did, but not by much. It was ~$150 to have 2 sets of dies shipped to 1 address.

 

Four parts came for each die. The coin front, the coin back, a rectangular piece with a circle cut out in the middle, and a small stamp piece. I will dig up a picture of all of the parts to post (just gotta find the file or take another). Here is one that I have on the TB page (we made our die trackable).

 

 

I will tell you that the dies are VERY heavy and a lot bigger than the actual coin. Although you have already paid for your dies when you bought your coins, it costs a lot to ship something so heavy.

[+uktim]

I made a personal coin and like everyone else who has had a coin made, I had to pay for the die. (Actually, for some reason [maybe because I bought it], I thought the die would come back to me with my coins; I did pay for the die to be made.) Why shouldn't I be able to have something I paid for? It is my property. I love mechanical things and I thought it would make a nice display to have my coin and the die together.

 

I had the coin made at Hogwild and I asked Sharon to find out what it would cost to ship the die to me. She quoted me $130! She said that was pretty much cost. I must admit, I was in shock when I saw that price. That was more than it cost to send the coins! Is the coin company ripping me off? Is this reasonable? (I certainly don't think so!)

 

So here's what I would like to know:

Have any of you gotten your die(s) after you had a coin made?

Do you remember what you paid for shipping?

How big are the coin dies?

If you didn't get the die(s) was it because the shipping was too much?

Are getting personal coin dies different from getting coin dies that are manufactured for sale to the general public?

Am I the only person that ever wanted to have a coin die?

 

I am just curious about this issue. Don't quote me on this, but I think Sharon told me something about the coin manufacturers don't want you to take the die and get another coin made elsewhere. I wouldn't do that because I'm not going to get more of these coins made but on the other hand, it is none of their business what I do with MY die.

 

Can anyone out there enlighten me on this subject? Am I missing something here?

 

Whilst we pay a die fee I've never assumed that we physically own the die itself. I would assume that the mint tretains it to ensure that you don't use it to get someone else to strike coins from it and that they most likely recyccle them at the end of their life.

[The Stoned Wookie]

Part of that cost must be because of overnight shipping. I would guess they weigh around 10 pounds total. There are others that can say the actual weight though. You can see what a die looks like for a quarter, which is .955 inch, in the picture below. I would say that one piece weighs no more than 2 pounds.

 

Edited September 11, 2009 by Ford Freak

[+BVnLJ]

how long do they keep the dies after the coin has been made?

[+LadyBee4T]

how long do they keep the dies after the coin has been made?

 

I was told 3 years and then they are destroyed

[+DresselDragons]

how long do they keep the dies after the coin has been made?

 

I was told 3 years and then they are destroyed

and that is why we bought ours when we did...we were approaching 3 years on ours.

[+Degai]

I made a personal coin and like everyone else who has had a coin made, I had to pay for the die. (Actually, for some reason [maybe because I bought it], I thought the die would come back to me with my coins; I did pay for the die to be made.) Why shouldn't I be able to have something I paid for? It is my property. I love mechanical things and I thought it would make a nice display to have my coin and the die together.

 

I had the coin made at Hogwild and I asked Sharon to find out what it would cost to ship the die to me. She quoted me $130! She said that was pretty much cost. I must admit, I was in shock when I saw that price. That was more than it cost to send the coins! Is the coin company ripping me off? Is this reasonable? (I certainly don't think so!)

 

So here's what I would like to know:

Have any of you gotten your die(s) after you had a coin made?

Do you remember what you paid for shipping?

How big are the coin dies?

If you didn't get the die(s) was it because the shipping was too much?

Are getting personal coin dies different from getting coin dies that are manufactured for sale to the general public?

Am I the only person that ever wanted to have a coin die?

 

I am just curious about this issue. Don't quote me on this, but I think Sharon told me something about the coin manufacturers don't want you to take the die and get another coin made elsewhere. I wouldn't do that because I'm not going to get more of these coins made but on the other hand, it is none of their business what I do with MY die.

 

Can anyone out there enlighten me on this subject? Am I missing something here?

 

Whilst we pay a die fee I've never assumed that we physically own the die itself. I would assume that the mint tretains it to ensure that you don't use it to get someone else to strike coins from it and that they most likely recyccle them at the end of their life.

 

If you don't "own" the die when you pay for it, then what are you paying for? Not that I would get more coins struck from another company, but even if I did, I don't really understand what business it is of that company, should I choose to do that. I paid them for their services and it shouldn't matter to them what I choose to do with the die.

[+Degai]

Thanks DresselDragons and Ford Freak for posting a picture of a coin die. I have never seen one. They look pretty cool. Do you have any idea of the die size in inches?

 

Lenore, do you remember how the dies were shipped?

[+LadyBee4T]

I made a personal coin and like everyone else who has had a coin made, I had to pay for the die. (Actually, for some reason [maybe because I bought it], I thought the die would come back to me with my coins; I did pay for the die to be made.) Why shouldn't I be able to have something I paid for? It is my property. I love mechanical things and I thought it would make a nice display to have my coin and the die together.

 

I had the coin made at Hogwild and I asked Sharon to find out what it would cost to ship the die to me. She quoted me $130! She said that was pretty much cost. I must admit, I was in shock when I saw that price. That was more than it cost to send the coins! Is the coin company ripping me off? Is this reasonable? (I certainly don't think so!)

 

So here's what I would like to know:

Have any of you gotten your die(s) after you had a coin made?

Do you remember what you paid for shipping?

How big are the coin dies?

If you didn't get the die(s) was it because the shipping was too much?

Are getting personal coin dies different from getting coin dies that are manufactured for sale to the general public?

Am I the only person that ever wanted to have a coin die?

 

I am just curious about this issue. Don't quote me on this, but I think Sharon told me something about the coin manufacturers don't want you to take the die and get another coin made elsewhere. I wouldn't do that because I'm not going to get more of these coins made but on the other hand, it is none of their business what I do with MY die.

 

Can anyone out there enlighten me on this subject? Am I missing something here?

 

Whilst we pay a die fee I've never assumed that we physically own the die itself. I would assume that the mint tretains it to ensure that you don't use it to get someone else to strike coins from it and that they most likely recyccle them at the end of their life.

 

If you don't "own" the die when you pay for it, then what are you paying for? Not that I would get more coins struck from another company, but even if I did, I don't really understand what business it is of that company, should I choose to do that. I paid them for their services and it shouldn't matter to them what I choose to do with the die.

 

When I inquired about my dies I was told that a company wouldn't use dies made elsewhere.

 

If I remember right the die I saw was about 4 inches thick too....

 

I'd like mine to make sig items but I'm not sure I'd like to pay that much to get them back. They may already have been destroyed.....

[+Ladybug Kids]

I'm not certain what dies for cast coins look like, but dies for proof-like medallions like the Alaska geocoins look like this:

 

 

 

and weigh several pounds. However, they would easily fit into a USPS flat rate shipping box with room for ample padding. The large expense may come as a result of shipping from overseas where most of the coins are cast and enameled.

 

A full slide show of the artwork and diemaking process may be seen on The Alaska Mint's website at:

http://www.alaskamint.com/tour.shtml

[+Degai]

Thanks to all who have posted thus far. All of the pictures are great. I'm learning a lot!

[+WRITE SHOP ROBERT]

As far as I know(maybe with the exception of Geocoiners) it is VERY unusual for a customer to request delivery of the machine parts that they use in production. I'm surprised that they do not charge hundreds of dollars to ship the die to you. Most businesses that manufacture custom items do not allow the end customer to obtain the machine parts, as far as I ever knew.

[+DresselDragons]

I swear that I read somewhere that YOU own the die when you get a coin made. That is why we contacted C&P to get it.

 

The dies came USPS. I want to say that it came in a USPS Priority Mail box, but I am not 100% sure.

 

Here are pictures of all of the parts. I added one of our coins for scale.

 

 

 

[+BVnLJ]

Just curious now about the tracking number....I see that it's can't be on the die so how is that done?

[+DresselDragons]

It is engraved

[+Jackalgirl]

How big are the dies? I don't know how big they are but consider the job. You take a blob of metal and smash it into shape using the dies. They work like anvils. Thus have to be large enough to take the beating and have enough mass so they do the smashing well enough to form the coin.

 

I did not know the metal was smashed into shape; working like anvils. I thought they were like molds and that melted metal was pored into the die, then excess metal was "squeezed" out of the die. That's what I love about the forums, I'm always learning new stuff! Thanks, Renegade Knight!

 

Actually, it can go both ways. The smashing method is called "Die-struck" and the pouring method is called "Die-cast". Die-cast coins are usually more expensive and the vast majority of coins are die-struck. Some vendors will offer you the option of one way or the other.

[Odyssey Voyager]

i thought this youtube video about making coins was rather interesting, if anyone wants to watch it here is the link:

 

 

.

[+fox-and-the-hound]

I made a personal coin and like everyone else who has had a coin made, I had to pay for the die. (Actually, for some reason [maybe because I bought it], I thought the die would come back to me with my coins; I did pay for the die to be made.) Why shouldn't I be able to have something I paid for? It is my property. I love mechanical things and I thought it would make a nice display to have my coin and the die together.

 

I had the coin made at Hogwild and I asked Sharon to find out what it would cost to ship the die to me. She quoted me $130! She said that was pretty much cost. I must admit, I was in shock when I saw that price. That was more than it cost to send the coins! Is the coin company ripping me off? Is this reasonable? (I certainly don't think so!)

 

So here's what I would like to know:

Have any of you gotten your die(s) after you had a coin made?

Do you remember what you paid for shipping?

How big are the coin dies?

If you didn't get the die(s) was it because the shipping was too much?

Are getting personal coin dies different from getting coin dies that are manufactured for sale to the general public?

Am I the only person that ever wanted to have a coin die?

 

I am just curious about this issue. Don't quote me on this, but I think Sharon told me something about the coin manufacturers don't want you to take the die and get another coin made elsewhere. I wouldn't do that because I'm not going to get more of these coins made but on the other hand, it is none of their business what I do with MY die.

 

Can anyone out there enlighten me on this subject? Am I missing something here?

 

1. Have any of you gotten your die(s) after you had a coin made? -- NO, never wanted any.

2. Do you remember what you paid for shipping? -- YES

3. How big are the coin dies? -- Relatively small, but super heavy.

4. If you didn't get the die(s) was it because the shipping was too much? --NO, see #1

5. Are getting personal coin dies different from getting coin dies that are manufactured for sale to the general public? -- NO

6. Am I the only person that ever wanted to have a coin die? -- NO

 

Notice I threw in a yes. Not because I got any of my personal coin dies (3 personals, btw ). It's because we had one of our GeoCoinClub dies shipped over here to an artist. I recall discussing that we wouldn't be doing that again anytime soon, because of the cost. If I can find the cost, I'll post it.

 

P.S. The artist is a regular here, maybe they'll remember

 

TMA

 

 

Here's a quick pic for size. This is only one of the four parts for the mold, but altogether it is VERY heavy. It is also shipped "Freight" for overseas/customs/etc. and who knows what gets tacked on extra for coming into the U.S. I do know that it's almost twice as much to come this way as to go back and it was over $50 to send back a die that was sent to me incorrectly.

 

So to answer your questions...

 

Have any of you gotten your die(s) after you had a coin made? Yes, twice.

Do you remember what you paid for shipping? No, but it was around a hundred or so.

How big are the coin dies? About 5" across by 3" deep (each side) plus the mounting block, edge ring and striking pin. Big enough that I would warn anyone against thinking they might mount it on the wall or something with out extra, extra enforced bracing.

If you didn't get the die(s) was it because the shipping was too much? No, just didn't have a use for some of them (yet).

Are getting personal coin dies different from getting coin dies that are manufactured for sale to the general public? No.

Am I the only person that ever wanted to have a coin die? Not even close. This has been talked about quite a bit in the past and a quick search should bring up several threads with good information

[Odyssey Voyager]

wow! after first reading this thread, i was curious, and interested in getting a geocoin die for myself, but after seeing this posted picture of a mint die, it doesn't really look as impressive as i thought it would. i think i'll reconsider and just pass on the idea of having one sent. thanks for posting the picture and for the information.

[+WRITE SHOP ROBERT]

wow! after first reading this thread, i was curious, and interested in getting a geocoin die for myself, but after seeing this posted picture of a mint die, it doesn't really look as impressive as i thought it would. i think i'll reconsider and just pass on the idea of having one sent. thanks for posting the picture and for the information.

well, it's a tool, so it looks like a tool. If you wanted to you could probably do some work on it to make it look real nice.

[Odyssey Voyager]

wow! after first reading this thread, i was curious, and interested in getting a geocoin die for myself, but after seeing this posted picture of a mint die, it doesn't really look as impressive as i thought it would. i think i'll reconsider and just pass on the idea of having one sent. thanks for posting the picture and for the information.

well, it's a tool, so it looks like a tool. If you wanted to you could probably do some work on it to make it look real nice.

 

i'd probably take it to a machine shop to see if they could remove all the excess steel around the die itself without damaging the design, then have it buffed and polished to a brilliant shine and sealed, and finally get it mounted on a nice plaque. hmmm...might be an expensive project.

Edited September 13, 2009 by Odyssey Voyager

[+Sparticus06]

I work in a powder metal plant. We use dies to make bearings, bushings, and anything else that can be made from powdered metal. The dies for geocoins are similar to what we use, but still very different. And I know that the dies we use can be very heavy, even more than 10 lbs. Dressel Dragons's die look to weigh about 15-25 lbs. Just my guess. I know if and when I ever get my coin made, I will want my dies, just means I will have to pay a bit to get them.

[+dorkfish]

I paid to have my first coin die mailed to me a few years ago and if I remember correctly it was about $115 to have it shipped directly from the mint. I use the die to make sig items out of porcelain clay and give them away to friends and drop them off in caches. The dies are extremely heavy and I thought the price was fairly accurate. It seems like it typically costs around $125 to ship 250 coins from China via 2 day FedEx shipping. And the dies seemed to weigh about the same as 250 coins. You might ask if they have a slower shipping method that would cost a bit less.

 

Along with each die I also received another heavy piece of metal. I'm not sure exactly what that is but it definitely added to the weight. Hope that helps

[Odyssey Voyager]

i just got an unofficial estimate from rusty at personalgeocoins of $75.00 to have the complete die shipped to me, but i have a feeling this may be a low estimate. i've also found a couple of places here in town that do machine work and decorative plating. i'm thinking that i can have the dies (front and back) machined down to about 10mm thickness and maybe 5 inches around, buffed and polished, then plated in either gold, silver, copper, or 2 tone and mounted in a nice wooden plaque at a trophy shop. this might look really good...lol...but i'm about as decisive as brett favre!

[+uktim]

I made a personal coin and like everyone else who has had a coin made, I had to pay for the die. (Actually, for some reason [maybe because I bought it], I thought the die would come back to me with my coins; I did pay for the die to be made.) Why shouldn't I be able to have something I paid for? It is my property. I love mechanical things and I thought it would make a nice display to have my coin and the die together.

 

I had the coin made at Hogwild and I asked Sharon to find out what it would cost to ship the die to me. She quoted me $130! She said that was pretty much cost. I must admit, I was in shock when I saw that price. That was more than it cost to send the coins! Is the coin company ripping me off? Is this reasonable? (I certainly don't think so!)

 

So here's what I would like to know:

Have any of you gotten your die(s) after you had a coin made?

Do you remember what you paid for shipping?

How big are the coin dies?

If you didn't get the die(s) was it because the shipping was too much?

Are getting personal coin dies different from getting coin dies that are manufactured for sale to the general public?

Am I the only person that ever wanted to have a coin die?

 

I am just curious about this issue. Don't quote me on this, but I think Sharon told me something about the coin manufacturers don't want you to take the die and get another coin made elsewhere. I wouldn't do that because I'm not going to get more of these coins made but on the other hand, it is none of their business what I do with MY die.

 

Can anyone out there enlighten me on this subject? Am I missing something here?

 

Whilst we pay a die fee I've never assumed that we physically own the die itself. I would assume that the mint tretains it to ensure that you don't use it to get someone else to strike coins from it and that they most likely recyccle them at the end of their life.

 

If you don't "own" the die when you pay for it, then what are you paying for? Not that I would get more coins struck from another company, but even if I did, I don't really understand what business it is of that company, should I choose to do that. I paid them for their services and it shouldn't matter to them what I choose to do with the die.

 

It's a complex scenario. I perceive the die fee as a form of deposit or a base price on coin production, when the company make the die they may get an income from a run of 1000 coins, they may get an income from a mere 100 coins or you may even decide not to put the coin into production at all. I don't see it as meaning that I own the die any more than I feel that I own the spanners a mechanic uses when I pay him to work on my car.

[+WRITE SHOP ROBERT]

I paid to have my first coin die mailed to me a few years ago and if I remember correctly it was about $115 to have it shipped directly from the mint. I use the die to make sig items out of porcelain clay and give them away to friends and drop them off in caches. The dies are extremely heavy and I thought the price was fairly accurate. It seems like it typically costs around $125 to ship 250 coins from China via 2 day FedEx shipping. And the dies seemed to weigh about the same as 250 coins. You might ask if they have a slower shipping method that would cost a bit less.

 

Along with each die I also received another heavy piece of metal. I'm not sure exactly what that is but it definitely added to the weight. Hope that helps

I'm thinking that the other piece it used as a bushing to get the actual striking die set precisly in the right place in the machine?

[+WRITE SHOP ROBERT]

It's a complex scenario. I perceive the die fee as a form of deposit or a base price on coin production, when the company make the die they may get an income from a run of 1000 coins, they may get an income from a mere 100 coins or you may even decide not to put the coin into production at all. I don't see it as meaning that I own the die any more than I feel that I own the spanners a mechanic uses when I pay him to work on my car.

That's tha way I would see it, which is why I was surprised they were being shipped at all. What I would expect that you paid for was the labor to make the die, not the physical die itself. I would guess that any minting company inside the US would not ever give you the die without some large extra cost(if even then). Photographers never give you the negatives, and screen printers never give you the screens, Etc...

[+WRITE SHOP ROBERT]

it is none of their business what I do with MY die.

 

As far as this goes..."Your" die was made with the expectation that you would use it to buy coins from them...that's how they stay in business. If you asked them to make you a die so that you can take it elsewhere to get coins made, maybe they would charge you 5 times as much to have it made?

[+Degai]

I made a personal coin and like everyone else who has had a coin made, I had to pay for the die. (Actually, for some reason [maybe because I bought it], I thought the die would come back to me with my coins; I did pay for the die to be made.) Why shouldn't I be able to have something I paid for? It is my property. I love mechanical things and I thought it would make a nice display to have my coin and the die together.

 

I had the coin made at Hogwild and I asked Sharon to find out what it would cost to ship the die to me. She quoted me $130! She said that was pretty much cost. I must admit, I was in shock when I saw that price. That was more than it cost to send the coins! Is the coin company ripping me off? Is this reasonable? (I certainly don't think so!)

 

So here's what I would like to know:

Have any of you gotten your die(s) after you had a coin made?

Do you remember what you paid for shipping?

How big are the coin dies?

If you didn't get the die(s) was it because the shipping was too much?

Are getting personal coin dies different from getting coin dies that are manufactured for sale to the general public?

Am I the only person that ever wanted to have a coin die?

 

I am just curious about this issue. Don't quote me on this, but I think Sharon told me something about the coin manufacturers don't want you to take the die and get another coin made elsewhere. I wouldn't do that because I'm not going to get more of these coins made but on the other hand, it is none of their business what I do with MY die.

 

Can anyone out there enlighten me on this subject? Am I missing something here?

 

1. Have any of you gotten your die(s) after you had a coin made? -- NO, never wanted any.

2. Do you remember what you paid for shipping? -- YES

3. How big are the coin dies? -- Relatively small, but super heavy.

4. If you didn't get the die(s) was it because the shipping was too much? --NO, see #1

5. Are getting personal coin dies different from getting coin dies that are manufactured for sale to the general public? -- NO

6. Am I the only person that ever wanted to have a coin die? -- NO

 

Notice I threw in a yes. Not because I got any of my personal coin dies (3 personals, btw ). It's because we had one of our GeoCoinClub dies shipped over here to an artist. I recall discussing that we wouldn't be doing that again anytime soon, because of the cost. If I can find the cost, I'll post it.

 

P.S. The artist is a regular here, maybe they'll remember

 

TMA

 

 

Here's a quick pic for size. This is only one of the four parts for the mold, but altogether it is VERY heavy. It is also shipped "Freight" for overseas/customs/etc. and who knows what gets tacked on extra for coming into the U.S. I do know that it's almost twice as much to come this way as to go back and it was over $50 to send back a die that was sent to me incorrectly.

 

So to answer your questions...

 

Have any of you gotten your die(s) after you had a coin made? Yes, twice.

Do you remember what you paid for shipping? No, but it was around a hundred or so.

How big are the coin dies? About 5" across by 3" deep (each side) plus the mounting block, edge ring and striking pin. Big enough that I would warn anyone against thinking they might mount it on the wall or something with out extra, extra enforced bracing.

If you didn't get the die(s) was it because the shipping was too much? No, just didn't have a use for some of them (yet).

Are getting personal coin dies different from getting coin dies that are manufactured for sale to the general public? No.

Am I the only person that ever wanted to have a coin die? Not even close. This has been talked about quite a bit in the past and a quick search should bring up several threads with good information

 

Thanks for the pictures and the information! Very informative!! And just for the record, WOW! The die pictures from Dressel Dragons and Fox-and-the-Hound are awesome looking!!!! I still think it would make an awesome display!

Edited September 15, 2009 by Degai

[+Degai]

it is none of their business what I do with MY die.

 

As far as this goes..."Your" die was made with the expectation that you would use it to buy coins from them...that's how they stay in business. If you asked them to make you a die so that you can take it elsewhere to get coins made, maybe they would charge you 5 times as much to have it made?

 

I paid for a die. I bought coins from this coin manufacturer. I have no intentions of using the die for anything other than a display at my house. I think it is ridiculous to think that anyone would want one company to make a coin die for them and use that die to buy coins elsewhere. It is solely for display after the fact as far as I am concerned. And I still consider it my die, my coin.

[+Nero]

Why yes, I have ordered my dies.... Thread

 

and heres some pics....my v1 coin..

 

 

 

and my V2 coin