PO Box 1993, Bloomington, IL 61702-1993
309 662-0159

A clipped coin is made long before it becomes a coin. It starts as a clipped planchet. This is the blank before the dies in the coinage press strike it.

A punching-cutting machine is used to make the planchets. Long rolled sheets of metal are automatically feed into the machine. The punching-cutting machine goes up and down, cutting circle planchets out of the thin metal strips.

If the metal sheet is not lined up properly with the punch-cutting machine, straight clips can be formed. This is because the metal is feed into the machine to far to the right or left. The punching-cutting machine will cut circles out of the sides of the sheets, which do not fill the area cut by the punch. This leaves one side of the planchet straight. Thus a straight clip.

If the metal is not feed into the punching-cutting machine at a steady speed, the movement of the metal does not keep up with the punching. When this happens, the machine is cutting circle planchets out of an area in the metal that has already been cut. This a curved clip.

If the roll of metal over feeds the punch-cutting machine, the punching machine cuts the ends of the roll. This forms ragged clips.

Straight Clip

Straight Clip

Curved Clip

Ragged Clip

Ragged Clip

Double Straight Clip

Doubled Curved Clip

2 Straight & Curved Clip