Coin Art

The Amazing Art of Coins

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Transformation: Turning Sea Coins into Unique Art

Art can make ordinary things extraordinary, and one way artists do this is by creating art out of coins found while metal detecting on the beach or inland. This type of art is called coin art and is becoming more popular as more people choose to engage in metal detecting as a hobby. Most detectorists keep their finds in boxes until they decide to sell valuable coins and items. Some detectorists have even gone to lengths to make tables and cover their floors with old one-penny pieces.

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Quick Look Back at Coin Art

Back in history, ancient currency was often decorated with coin art. Coins depicted pictures of gods, important people, or even animals, depending on what was worshiped at the time. Kings and queens have appeared on coins since they were first minted thousands of years ago. During the period of the crusaders, coins were made by striking a hammer onto a small, thin, round surface, about 1 cm in diameter. They were typically made from "billion," which is an alloy of silver and tin. The crusader cross appeared on all coins.

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The Challenges

Making coin art requires a large selection of coins to cover the object area. Smaller coins are needed to use as the outline edge, as larger coins don’t provide good definition. Coins found on beaches can be pitted and well-worn, making them fragile. Artists need to be extremely careful when cleaning and using adhesive to fix them to the surface. Coins found on beaches after storms are often pitted, having been eaten away by the sea. The longer they are lost at sea, the thinner they become as electrolysis takes its toll.