Weak strike
In order for the coins to be made, the upper die must hit the planchet with a lot of pressure to transfer the design elements. It takes between 35 and 200 tons of pressure to hit the coins and this varies according to the denomination of the coin, the alloy used for the production of the tons and whether it is a test coin or intended for circulation. When the press is configured with new dies, a series of single-stroke tapping is often performed, gradually increasing the pressure, to decide which tonnage will be used in that production cycle and thus obtain the maximum yield from the dies. This single shot is technically referred to as a “die adjustment strike”.
Single-strike coins are extremely rare to find in circulation because they are disposed of shortly after their minting. They can be recognized by the ghost print on both sides of the coin, without excluding the outline. The part where the impression is clearly seen is only the edge and the adjacent reliefs (E.B.41).
However, the latest generation of money presses are equipped with an automatic pressure regulation system. For this reason it is difficult to determine the approximate cause of the error and the assignment of the definitive cause is practically impossible. A simple die adjustment strike could be easily confused with a simple weak strike or with the product of an equipment malfunction. Weak strike results from three proximate causes:
• Inadequate piston pressure
• Insufficient approximation of the die
• Spontaneous malfunctions of the monetary press
Piston pressure is the tonnage applied to a normal thickness round bar. The approximation of the die refers to the minimum distance between the dies in the absence of a planchet. Spontaneous malfunctions of the coin press can be multiple and include hammer dies falling out of adjustment, a jam in the bowels of the press, a badly cut or broken cam (on which the anvil rests), a press frame loose or broken, a broken circuit breaker and more.
Extensive evidence indicates that the vast majority of weak strikes in the market are the product of a spontaneous malfunction of the money press, most caused by an increase in the minimum clearance of the die and presenting as a circular fading near the plus or minus edge. less large depending on the tonnage applied (EB42).
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