Coin blank and planchet

A coin blank is a piece of metal intended to be struck into a coin. In modern production it is commonly a punched disc. The dies in a coin press transfer designs to the metal. An unstruck blank must be distinguished from a finished coin whose design has worn away or been damaged.

Blank and planchet

The U.S. Mint distinguishes a flat metal disc, a blank, from a disc with a raised rim formed before striking, a planchet. It also notes that “blank” is used more generally for a coin before it is struck. The Royal Mint defines “planchet” as the metal disc onto which the coin's image is pressed. Read the term in the context of the particular source's terminology.

“Unstruck” is also different from “uncirculated”. An uncirculated coin can have a complete struck design even though it has not been used in general circulation.

An unknown blank in a collection

Practical suggestion: Record weight, diameter, thickness, any raised rim and possible traces of a design. Photograph both faces and the edge. Add information about its origin to the collection's object inventory. Do not assign a mint, denomination or date from its shape alone. Seek specialist assessment before describing an unknown metal disc as a particular coin blank.

Explore coins and banknotes at OBA. To offer a collection for sale, send photographs and details for assessment and possible purchase.