If you have spent any time perusing coin listings on coin dealers’ websites or checking out online coin collecting forums, you have probably come across the term business strike. But what’s a business strike coin, and how does one differ from other types of coins, such as proof coins?
Business strike coins are intended for the purpose of circulating in the channels of commerce, or, in other words, daily exchanges of money at the grocery store, the bank, and the mall.
So, the coins you have in your pocket change are examples of business strike coinage.
How A Business Strike Coin Is Made
Business strike coins are stamped from long sheets of metal that come in rolls. The little round blanks that are stamped out from the sheets of metal are annealed (heated) so they are easier to stamp. Then they get washed and dried. The blank coin rounds are then run through an upsetting mill, which raises a rim around the edge of the coins