OUGD603 - Brief 1 - Souvenir Penny Designs - Research - Production Methods

Production Methods

To gain a better understanding of how to create a realistic finished penny design the metal work technician told me about possible solutions and techniques that could be used.

Key Points:

- Pennies pressed in machines are created by using a cast metal stamp. The penny is forced through two rollers with the design imprinted into one. The metal stamp design is then imprinted onto the penny through pressure as the penny is pushed into the stamp. To simulate this effect a stamp could be made then hammered into an already flattened penny. However a problem with this technique is getting a stamp made is expensive so this wouldn't be very practical for four designs and a small run of pennies.
- It was suggested that the design could be etched onto a piece of copper sheet then cut out in the shape of an elongated penny and curled slightly to simulate the effect of a pressed penny. The etching process uses photo sensitive paper which is applied to the copper. A black and white negative of a design is created with any areas that are white hardening the blue in these areas. When washed these areas remain raised whilst the black areas on the negative are not exposed to light and wash away leaving an etched section. To create raised text and imagery in a similar way to designs looked at it was said that text and imagery / lines would have to be in white on the negative to be raised and the rest in black to etch these sections away.
- The etching process would create a similar effect to a pressed penny design and the copper would simulate the colour of the pennies well. The design would then be sawn out to create the elongated penny shape.