This is how a coin was struck by hand: The slug would be laid on a lower die on an ambos, the upper die would be laid on top and then with a powerful slam of a hammer the impression would be stamped on the slug. The dies were engraved with the negative of the motif.

The technique of cutting a die is similar to engraving. First, a drawing would be made, this would be etched onto the die. Sometimes one recognises small dots or tracing marks on the coin.

These tracing marks have the advantage of enabling new copies of the old die to be made without varying the old design.
Sometimes an old engraving was changed, for example the date. This is called recutting the die.