# Coin cutting



## Scrollerman (14 Sep 2014)

Surfing around, I came across a Steve Good video for a coin cutting jig/clamp.
Part 1 :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PufirJOg3Y
Part 2 :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-skNVjqHnDE

This led me to search out coin cutting in general but what I came up with was most are cut by hand tools.
I found very few videos of cutting coins with a scroll saw and wondered why as the scroll saw seems to me to be perfect for the job !
I have some old coins stashed away in my loft so will dig them out and have a go as I find the idea appealling.
Anyone else fancy having a go or have cut coins on a scroll saw ?


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## Stooby (14 Sep 2014)

I thought it looked interesting but there seems to be an overwhelming consensus that it is illegal to deface coins in the UK. It would be good to hear if anyone knows anything different on this.


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## Claymore (14 Sep 2014)

at this very moment Alex Salmond is in the process of sawing penny washers into Pound Coins! 9-) if you get any in your change just check the edge banding and if it says "Ijeet Iz I" engraved its fake


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## IHc1vtr+ (14 Sep 2014)

Stooby":30a1hmee said:


> I thought it looked interesting but there seems to be an overwhelming consensus that it is illegal to deface coins in the UK. It would be good to hear if anyone knows anything different on this.



I would have thought "out of circulation coins" would be ok....If you're worried about that sort of thing?


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## stevebuk (14 Sep 2014)

i have a friend that makes jewellery out of coins, cutting them out on his scroll saw, he buys old ones off ebay and cuts them up, they look great..


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## ardenwoodcraft (14 Sep 2014)

As I understand things regarding the legality of altering / cutting coins. I think it's only illegal if you try to pass off the altered coin as legal tender. If they are made into pendants / earrings / inlays etc I don't think there would be a problem as long as you don't try to use the coins as legal currency. 

As I say, that is my understanding of things. I don't know the law so I'm happy to be corrected if my understanding is incorrect.


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## Zeddedhed (14 Sep 2014)

I'd have thought that 'les flics' have better things to do than worry about Scrollerman defacing a few thrupenny bits


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## gilljc (15 Sep 2014)

I had a brief shotty, but think I used wrong blades, they kept breaking, only managed about 1mm in total :roll: 
was using metal blades, maybe should have been jewellers blades, but don't know the difference :roll:


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## mind_the_goat (15 Sep 2014)

I've seen enough coin stamping machines machines in legitimate establishments to believe that you can do what you want with your coins.


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## Phil Pascoe (15 Sep 2014)

Stooby":2ina3tlo said:


> I thought it looked interesting but there seems to be an overwhelming consensus that it is illegal to deface coins in the UK. It would be good to hear if anyone knows anything different on this.


I saw one of the mills used for this that actually had the name and date of the law that allows it on a plate riveted to the front - the question obviously crops up regularly. Iirc it was a 1982 law. It's legal to use circulating coinage.


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## Scrollerman (16 Sep 2014)

Oh goodness me. I didn't expect such a simple idea would bring up the issue of legality.
Should I expect Her Majesty arriving at my door saying "Orff with his head" !
Maybe I should wait a few more days to see if cutting Scottish coins is an issue ?

OK, joking apart, I really don't see it as a problem as there are so many doing it that surely they would know the law regarding this ?
To put it all into perspective, I've read of people reporting burglaries that never get investigated so a simple case of cutting a coin would be laughable if they did decide to class it as law breaking !!


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## Claymore (16 Sep 2014)

I have a great idea........ send me all your spare £1 or £2 coins to experiment with and you won't have to worry about getting arrested! 9-) (I also accept £20 and £50 notes) lol
There used to be a gadget at the Loch Ness visitor centre where you put a 1p in and turned an handle and out popped a flattened coin with Nessie on so don't think they will mind making the odd bit of modded coins.


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## Walney Col (16 Sep 2014)

In the UK, the Coinage Offences Act 1936 prohibited the defacement of any current coins. This was repealed in its entirety by the Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981 which created the notion of "protected coins" and section 27(1) of that Act provides that the expression "protected coin" was to mean *any coin which is customarily used as money in any country*, or which is specified for the purposes of Part II in an order made by the Treasury.

The following coins have been specified for the purposes of Part II:

Sovereign
Half sovereign
Krugerrand
Any coin denominated as a fraction of a Krugerrand.
Maria Theresia thaler bearing the date of 1780.
Any euro coin produced in accordance with Council Regulation No. 975/98/EC (OJ No. L139, 11.5.98, p. 6.) by or at the instance of a member state which has adopted the single currency in accordance with the Treaty establishing the European Community.

So why specify soveriegns and half soverigns as well as "*any coin which is customarily used as money in any country*"? As usual I suspect the law is conpletely up it's own ass. ;-) But at least by any stretch of the imagination you ought definitely be able to deface any of the *old* UK currency such as pennies ha'penies farthings thrupenny bits sixpences shillings florins half-crown and crowns since they're no longer legal currency anywhere.

Hrmph.


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## Harbo (16 Sep 2014)

Many, many moons ago we used to lay farthings or halfpences on the railway tracks when a famous train like the Mallard was going to run over them.
You got a flattened coin but no real evidence at what had caused it but we got a kick out of it?
Oh the days before TV and kids could roam free - even on live railway tracks!!

Rod


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## Scrollerman (17 Sep 2014)

Claymore":3bbqhcnj said:


> I have a great idea........ send me all your spare £1 or £2 coins to experiment with and you won't have to worry about getting arrested! 9-) (I also accept £20 and £50 notes) lol
> [/quote
> 
> Hmmm Claymore, let me think about that for a minute lol !
> ...


Careful Rod as you are giving away your age. :roll: 
I must agree about the days before TV (now giving away my own age !) as we made our own fun even if at times it was what would be classed today as dangerous !


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## boysie39 (17 Sep 2014)

Scrollerman , 
Everything we did as kids is now considered dangerous and is covered by some law or other. When coming home from school we would put four school bags down on the main Dublin /Galway road and play football for a few hours and might be only disturbed once or twice usually by someone herding cattle . We used swim in the river ,chew on pieces of grass ,or eat wheat or veg out of fields ,berries from the hedgerows .
Now you will be charged with jaywalking or some such stupid law which has been forced on us by greed . We didn't have much back in those days ,but people never had to lock their doors and children could go to school and come home on their own . 

Sorry about this ,what it has to do with scrolling i don't know luckily I forget things I want to say which is just as well .


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