In early 16th century Europe the hand-striking techniques familiar since ancient times were used. In a mint workshop an alloy was smelted and cast into bars, which were hammered flat so that blanks could be cut out with shears, stacked and hammered into a circular shape. The blanks were struck between two iron dies, impressing both sides of the coin simultaneously.

In the middle ages new methods were begun to be experimented with. Machines such as the rotary press , the screw press and the one man press were founded.