The system of the five German mints dates back to 1871, when the German Coinage Act specified that the striking of German coins should not take place in a common national mint, but rather be spread across the mints of the federal states. That system was retained following the Second World War. The Berlin mint and the subsequently closed Muldenhuetten mint struck coins for East Germany, while West German coins were minted in Hamburg, Karlsruhe, Munich and Stuttgart. All mints answer to the ministry of finance in their respective state, and the Federal Ministry of Finance determines which mints strike which coins in which quantities and how those services should be remunerated.
F
Stuttgart mint
In 1374, Eberhard II, Count of Wuerttemberg, first had coins minted in Stuttgart. Ever since Stuttgart has been the chief mint of Wuerttemberg: first of the county; then of the Duchy; and ultimately of the Kingdom. It retained that role when Wuerttemberg joined the German Empire in 1871 and when it merged with Baden to form the federal state of Baden-Wuerttemberg in 1952.
For more than 600 years, the Stuttgart mint was located in or near the city centre. In 1842, King Wilhelm I had a new minting facility built across from the Stuttgart Staatsgalerie. But it suffered such severe damage during the Second World War that minting operations could barely be carried on. Thus the mint relocated to a newly built site in Bad Cannstatt in 1967.
Stuttgart mint
The Stuttgart mint has called Bad Cannstatt home since 1967. Join us and see how coins are made in Stuttgart.
Mint mark "F"
All coins that originate here are marked with the "F" mint mark.
Blanks
The striking process begins with small rounds of metal, so-called blanks. Today those blanks are no longer produced in the mint itself. Once the Ministry of Finance decides how many coins will be struck in the coming year, the office for central purchases orders the blanks for all the mints from private manufacturers. That involves vast quantities. In 2016, Stuttgart produced more than 140 million euro cents alone, weighing some 322 tonnes.
Test laboratory
To ensure that all blanks are of the highest quality, they are subjected to random tests. We test the weight, alloy composition, dimensions and many other technical properties. After all, every vending machine across the euro area should be able to recognise the minted coins immediately, and that is only possible if the parameters are correct to the last detail.
Minting tools
The dies for all minting carried out in the State Mints of Baden-Wuerttemberg are produced centrally in Stuttgart. That is more efficient, since relatively few dies are required. These days, a single die can strike between 300,000 and 500,000 units of 1, 2 and 5 cent coins.
Circulation coinage
There are 13 minting presses in our hall for producing circulation coins. Those consist of six vertical and seven horizontal coin minting presses from the Goeppingen-based manufacturer Schuler featuring a striking force of 150 tonnes. Vertical and horizontal presses are distinguished by how the blanks lie in the press. In a horizontal minting press, the blank stands between two dies and is struck from both sides.
Circulation coinage
In a vertical minting press, the blank rests on the lower die and is struck by the upper die. Approximately 30 tonnes of pressure are required to press a 1 cent piece, and 100 tonnes are required for a 2 euro piece. Some 750 coins are produced per minute in that fashion; that equates to 45,000 coins per hour and 360,000 coins per eight-hour shift.
Coin Blank Treatment
Of course, producing commemorative coins is more complex. To begin, all blanks are treated before minting. Over the course of an hour, they are washed and polished in a specially designed wash sequence.
Closed water system
There is no need to worry about the chemicals used for washing. We have a closed water system that captures every drop of water used and recycles it for the next batch. That is important to us. We are currently recognised as one of the most environmentally friendly mints worldwide – and we plan to keep it that way.
Proof coinage
We have four Graebener presses for minting proof coins in our coining hall, which is shielded to ensure that no dust particles can damage the surfaces. This is called a "clean-room environment". During each shift, 3,000 to 5,000 proof coins are manufactured in an elaborate process on our 360-tonne presses.
Striking medals
It goes without saying that medals with a diameter of up to 40 mm can also be produced on a Graebener press. For our high-relief art medals, however, we use a Sack & Kiesselbach oil-hydraulic press which exerts 650 tonnes of pressure. Our silver and copper art medals from the "Inventors from Baden-Wuerttemberg" series require five or six strikes at a pressure of approx. 500 tonnes to achieve their exceptionally high relief.
Coinage inspection
Whether it's a medal or a proof coin, there is always a person beside the press to ensure that only the highest quality is turned out.
Packaging commemorative coins
The elaborate packing procedure for coin sets and proof commemorative coins is also fully automated, with an additional optical quality control. Each day between 7,000 and 8,000 commemorative coins can be placed in the capsule and packaged. All coin sets and commemorative coins, including those minted in Karlsruhe, are packed here in Stuttgart.
Packing circulation coins
The packing of circulation coins is also a fully automated process. We have two packing lines in Stuttgart for that purpose. They have a capacity of approx. 5 million coins per shift.
Removal of goods
In the process outlined above, simple blanks are turned into finished coins that can be used as means of payment across the entire euro area. The coins are collected from our premises under conditions of the highest security and transported to the Bundesbank (German Central Bank), where they are stored until it is decided to put them into circulation.
Stuttgart mint
The Stuttgart mint has called Bad Cannstatt home since 1967. Join us and see how coins are made in Stuttgart.
Mint mark "F"
All coins that originate here are marked with the "F" mint mark.
Blanks
The striking process begins with small rounds of metal, so-called blanks. Today those blanks are no longer produced in the mint itself. Once the Ministry of Finance decides how many coins will be struck in the coming year, the office for central purchases orders the blanks for all the mints from private manufacturers. That involves vast quantities. In 2016, Stuttgart produced more than 140 million euro cents alone, weighing some 322 tonnes.
Test laboratory
To ensure that all blanks are of the highest quality, they are subjected to random tests. We test the weight, alloy composition, dimensions and many other technical properties. After all, every vending machine across the euro area should be able to recognise the minted coins immediately, and that is only possible if the parameters are correct to the last detail.
Minting tools
The dies for all minting carried out in the State Mints of Baden-Wuerttemberg are produced centrally in Stuttgart. That is more efficient, since relatively few dies are required. These days, a single die can strike between 300,000 and 500,000 units of 1, 2 and 5 cent coins.
Circulation coinage
There are 13 minting presses in our hall for producing circulation coins. Those consist of six vertical and seven horizontal coin minting presses from the Goeppingen-based manufacturer Schuler featuring a striking force of 150 tonnes. Vertical and horizontal presses are distinguished by how the blanks lie in the press. In a horizontal minting press, the blank stands between two dies and is struck from both sides.
Circulation coinage
In a vertical minting press, the blank rests on the lower die and is struck by the upper die. Approximately 30 tonnes of pressure are required to press a 1 cent piece, and 100 tonnes are required for a 2 euro piece. Some 750 coins are produced per minute in that fashion; that equates to 45,000 coins per hour and 360,000 coins per eight-hour shift.
Coin Blank Treatment
Of course, producing commemorative coins is more complex. To begin, all blanks are treated before minting. Over the course of an hour, they are washed and polished in a specially designed wash sequence.
Closed water system
There is no need to worry about the chemicals used for washing. We have a closed water system that captures every drop of water used and recycles it for the next batch. That is important to us. We are currently recognised as one of the most environmentally friendly mints worldwide – and we plan to keep it that way.
Proof coinage
We have four Graebener presses for minting proof coins in our coining hall, which is shielded to ensure that no dust particles can damage the surfaces. This is called a "clean-room environment". During each shift, 3,000 to 5,000 proof coins are manufactured in an elaborate process on our 360-tonne presses.
Striking medals
It goes without saying that medals with a diameter of up to 40 mm can also be produced on a Graebener press. For our high-relief art medals, however, we use a Sack & Kiesselbach oil-hydraulic press which exerts 650 tonnes of pressure. Our silver and copper art medals from the "Inventors from Baden-Wuerttemberg" series require five or six strikes at a pressure of approx. 500 tonnes to achieve their exceptionally high relief.
Coinage inspection
Whether it's a medal or a proof coin, there is always a person beside the press to ensure that only the highest quality is turned out.
Packaging commemorative coins
The elaborate packing procedure for coin sets and proof commemorative coins is also fully automated, with an additional optical quality control. Each day between 7,000 and 8,000 commemorative coins can be placed in the capsule and packaged. All coin sets and commemorative coins, including those minted in Karlsruhe, are packed here in Stuttgart.
Packing circulation coins
The packing of circulation coins is also a fully automated process. We have two packing lines in Stuttgart for that purpose. They have a capacity of approx. 5 million coins per shift.
Removal of goods
In the process outlined above, simple blanks are turned into finished coins that can be used as means of payment across the entire euro area. The coins are collected from our premises under conditions of the highest security and transported to the Bundesbank (German Central Bank), where they are stored until it is decided to put them into circulation.
G
Karlsruhe mint
The right of the Margrave of Baden to strike coins is first attested in 1362. However, it may have been awarded at a much earlier date. Unlike neighbouring Wuerttemberg, Baden did not possess a clear capital, and so the mint was repeatedly moved with the changing residence of the respective rulers.
For example, coins were minted in Baden-Baden, Darmstadt, Durlach, Emmendingen, Karlsruhe, Mannheim, Pforzheim and Tuebingen before Grand Duke Ludwig II of Baden decided to build a modern minting facility. On 9 February 1827, the building designed by Friedrich Weinbrenner was inaugurated in the presence of the Grand Duke. Our colleagues of the Karlsruhe mint are proud to still be working in this art historically significant building today.
Cour d'honneur
Friedrich Weinbrenner was the director of construction in Baden and thus responsible for all official buildings constructed in Karlsruhe between 1797 and 1826. Technical facilities such as the mint were also built for representation purposes. That is why visitors still enter the mint through a grand entrance.
Friedrich Weinbrenner
A bust of the director of construction now stands in the courtyard of the Karlsruhe mint.
Mint mark "G"
All coins minted in Karlsruhe are marked with a "G" mint mark.
Blanks
The striking process begins with small rounds of metal, so-called blanks. Today those blanks are no longer produced in the mint itself. Once the Ministry of Finance decides how many coins will be struck in the coming year, an office for central purchases orders the blanks for all the mints from private manufacturers.
Test laboratory
To ensure that all blanks are of the highest quality, they are subjected to random tests. We test the weight, alloy composition, dimensions and many other technical properties. After all, every vending machine across the euro area should be able to recognise the minted coins immediately, and that is only possible if the parameters are correct to the last detail.
Joining machine for polymer coins
By the way, the blanks for polymer coins are produced in Karlsruhe. That requires joining three different components: an external ring, an inner pill, and the high-tech polymer in between.
Circulation coinage
There are seven coin minting presses in our circulation coining hall. Those are all vertical minting presses, that is, presses in which the blank rests on the lower die while the upper die exerts the pressure needed to strike the coin. Such vertical minting presses are very versatile. We are able to strike with them everything from the 1 cent to the 2 euro coin in circulation quality. We produce 750 coins per minute per machine. That equates to 45,000 per hour and approximately 360,000 coins per eight-hour shift. All coins of the quality "uncirculated" are produced here.
Packaging for circulation coins
We are packaging circulation coins in a fully automatic process. On our packaging line we can pack five million per shift according to the client's specifications.
Coin Blank Treatment
Minting collector coins in "proof" quality is more complex than with circulation coins. First, the blanks are washed and polished. That takes place automatically in a coin washing line.
Closed water system
There is no need to worry about the chemicals used for washing. We have a closed water system that captures every drop of water used and recycles it for the next batch. That is important to us. We are currently recognised as one of the most environmentally friendly mints worldwide – and we plan to keep it that way.
Proof coinage
We have three Graebener presses for minting proof coins in our coining hall, which is shielded to ensure that no dust particles disturb the surfaces. This is called a "clean-room environment". During each shift, 3,000 to 5,000 proof coins are manufactured in an elaborate process on our 360-tonne presses. Here, we can also strike medals with a diameter of up to 40 mm.
Commemorative coin inspection
Whether it's a medal or a proof coin, there is always a person beside the press making sure that only the highest quality is turned out.
The commemorative coin is finished
Centuries from now, such commemorative coins will continue to reflect what is important to us today.
Cour d'honneur
Friedrich Weinbrenner was the director of construction in Baden and thus responsible for all official buildings constructed in Karlsruhe between 1797 and 1826. Technical facilities such as the mint were also built for representation purposes. That is why visitors still enter the mint through a grand entrance.
Friedrich Weinbrenner
A bust of the director of construction now stands in the courtyard of the Karlsruhe mint.
Mint mark "G"
All coins minted in Karlsruhe are marked with a "G" mint mark.
Blanks
The striking process begins with small rounds of metal, so-called blanks. Today those blanks are no longer produced in the mint itself. Once the Ministry of Finance decides how many coins will be struck in the coming year, an office for central purchases orders the blanks for all the mints from private manufacturers.
Test laboratory
To ensure that all blanks are of the highest quality, they are subjected to random tests. We test the weight, alloy composition, dimensions and many other technical properties. After all, every vending machine across the euro area should be able to recognise the minted coins immediately, and that is only possible if the parameters are correct to the last detail.
Joining machine for polymer coins
By the way, the blanks for polymer coins are produced in Karlsruhe. That requires joining three different components: an external ring, an inner pill, and the high-tech polymer in between.
Circulation coinage
There are seven coin minting presses in our circulation coining hall. Those are all vertical minting presses, that is, presses in which the blank rests on the lower die while the upper die exerts the pressure needed to strike the coin. Such vertical minting presses are very versatile. We are able to strike with them everything from the 1 cent to the 2 euro coin in circulation quality. We produce 750 coins per minute per machine. That equates to 45,000 per hour and approximately 360,000 coins per eight-hour shift. All coins of the quality "uncirculated" are produced here.
Packaging for circulation coins
We are packaging circulation coins in a fully automatic process. On our packaging line we can pack five million per shift according to the client's specifications.
Coin Blank Treatment
Minting collector coins in "proof" quality is more complex than with circulation coins. First, the blanks are washed and polished. That takes place automatically in a coin washing line.
Closed water system
There is no need to worry about the chemicals used for washing. We have a closed water system that captures every drop of water used and recycles it for the next batch. That is important to us. We are currently recognised as one of the most environmentally friendly mints worldwide – and we plan to keep it that way.
Proof coinage
We have three Graebener presses for minting proof coins in our coining hall, which is shielded to ensure that no dust particles disturb the surfaces. This is called a "clean-room environment". During each shift, 3,000 to 5,000 proof coins are manufactured in an elaborate process on our 360-tonne presses. Here, we can also strike medals with a diameter of up to 40 mm.
Commemorative coin inspection
Whether it's a medal or a proof coin, there is always a person beside the press making sure that only the highest quality is turned out.
The commemorative coin is finished
Centuries from now, such commemorative coins will continue to reflect what is important to us today.
80
80
Our employees
Foundation of our success
There are currently around 80 employees active in Germany’s largest coin-minting enterprise. We are proud of our experienced and highly trained minting specialists, who thanks to their know-how are able to realise even the most challenging numismatic ideas.
