96 



coinage, will be appropriate before proceeding further with the sub- 

 ject. 



In the advance of the mechanic arts, in modern times, great faci- 

 lities have been devised therein. The arts of medal engraving and 

 die-sinking have largely participated; rapid and exact mechanical 

 means now take the place of the laborious and imperfect ones which 

 formerly embarrassed this important art. I will endeavour to ex- 

 emplify them as briefly as possible. 



The artist or designer models in a plastic material, such as wax 

 or clay, a medallion portrait, or other device in relief, of sufficient 

 size to permit freedom of handling, and facile study of effect ; from 

 this model a cast can be taken in plaster of Paris, or it may be electro- 

 typed in copper. From the mould thus obtained, copies can be cast 

 in hard metal, bronze or iron, which may be further retouched or 

 finished, at the will of the artist. 



The model, prepared as above, is placed in the portrait lathe, for 

 which we are indebted to the French. By means of mandrils, re- 

 volving in equal periods of time, upon one of which the model is 

 placed, and on the other the material lor the copy or reduction, in 

 front of which mandrils a har is made to traverse, carrying a tracer^ 

 which passes over the face of the model, touching, in succession, every 

 part of the model in a spiral line from centre to circumference, or vice 

 versa, a tool on the same bar, opposite the mandril bearing the mate- 

 rial, necessarily obeys the same motions, and is thus made to cut a 

 fac simile of the model, the construction of the whole being such as 

 to admit of any proportionate relation in size. By means of this lathe, 

 rapid and exact reductions are made in steel, with an infinitely de- 

 creased amount of labour, and having the great advantage, as far as 

 coining purposes are concerned, of retaining faithful proportionate 

 relations in the difTerent denominations of pieces bearing the same 

 device. The lettering of legends is usually put in at this stage of 

 proceeding by hand, as well as minor and detached parts. 



This, in general but concise terms, is the mode of operating, when 

 a new device is to be executed for a medal or coin ; but at this point 

 an important distinction exists, and we must separate, by a very 

 marked division, the two branches of the art, that of medal-strik- 

 ing and the coining of money. In the former, repeated blows upon 

 a disc of metal, with intervening annealings, enable a device, of any 

 degree of elevation, to be brought up, as it is technically termed, 

 whilst in the latter we are restricted to a single blow, or action of the 

 coining press, upon the prepared disc or " blank," and hence the ne- 



