Blanks and planchets refer to the metal discs that become coins through the minting process. Blanks are produced in the first step of the minting process and become planchets after the upsetting stage ,when the rim is formed, and before the design has been pressed.
What is a Blank?
Coin blanks are flat, round metal discs that serve as the blank canvas for coins. The United States Mint produces blanks in-house for nickels, dimes, quarters, half dollars, and dollars but buys blanks for pennies and some numismatic coins. Blanks are produced by feeding 1,500-foot-long metal coils made to precise specifications for each denomination into a machine that straightens the metal. The straightened metal coils are then inserted into a blanking press, which cuts blanks very fast, at a rate of 14,000 coin blanks every minute. The blanks are cut with laser sharp accuracy to ensure uniform coin sizes. Although blanks are not the same diameter as the coins they will eventually become, they have the same thickness as finished coins.
After blanks are cut, they are sent to an annealing furnace, and the webbing or scrap metal left over from the straightened coil is shredded for recycling.
What is a Planchet?
Planchets are blanks that have been further processed and feature a rim. If blanks are the canvas, then planchets might be the stretched canvas over a frame.
After the annealing process, blanks are washed to restore the metal’s original color and dried before moving to the upsetting mill. In coin production, upsetting is the process that pushes metal around the edge of the blank to form the rim of a coin. At this stage of coin production, blanks in the upsetting mill are fed into a groove that is narrower than the blank’s diameter. As the blanks go through this groove, metal is pushed up into a rim, which protects the coin device from wear and makes coins more stackable.
What Makes a Planchet Different from a Blank?
When blanks are upset and have rims, they become planchets. Collectors may still refer to these as blanks, but a blank with a rim is a planchet.
When the U.S. Mint buys blanks, they are almost always ready for striking and do not require upsetting or washing, technically making them planchets instead of blanks. After they are received, Mint officials inspect the planchets to make sure they meet the standards for the coin they will be minted into. After that step, planchets for Lincoln cents move to the coining presses to be struck.
After upsetting, proof and other special planchets are cleaned in a process called burnishing. At this stage, the planchets are inserted into a drum, where cleaning agents and small metal pellets, polish the surface and leave it smooth. These planchets are then hand-washed.
How Much are Blanks and Planchets Worth?
Some blanks and planchets carry high premiums. Some factors that impact the value of blanks include the size of the blank, its metal content, its edge details, and whether it has become a planchet. Many collectors appreciate error coins, which blanks and planchets fall under, and unique characteristics may add value to planchets and blanks. Some 90% silver planchets can sell for more than $1,000, while larger planchets for Eisenhower dollars may sell for $10-30.
Is a Blank Penny or Penny Planchet Valuable?
Blank pennies or penny planchets are not very valuable as a result of how plentiful they are- Many are given away to children in scouting programs for earning coin collecting badges. Like other coins and coin errors, blanks or planchets may gain value relative to their rarity.
