Calibration Coins for Scan Coin Ltd.
(An aside from my info on The Birmingham
Mint)
For many years I knew nothing about this piece, except for its being Copper-Nickel and bearing the name of "The Birmingham Mint".
(Both sides are the same.)
Around Feb 2001 I got a clue from someone who told me that he had used a "Scan Coin" machine. So I tracked "Scan Coin" down on the internet and they kindly gave me some useful information......
Scan Coin Ltd. ( http://www.scancoin.co.uk/ ) design and manufacture coin counting and sorting equipment, as well as self-service solutions. A key part of their technology is the electronic sensing of coin type based upon electrical measurement of a range of parameters.
They told me that my piece is a number "3" piece from an old set of 5 "calibration coins". Pieces "1" through "5" of this series are each a different size and allow for accurate calibration of the machine sensor parameters.
This series is from around 1991. (The name of "The Birmingham Mint" gives a clue to this as does the length of time I belive I have had the piece). The Birmingham Mint has also made the latest series of these "calibration coins" for Scan Coin Ltd.
(Coins scaled to appear similar in diameter. Both sides
of each piece are the same.)
This new series of five is to assist with Scan Coin's new series coin sensor technology that is required for handling the Euro. The colours of the pieces are a good indication of the compositions - except for the Bronze looking piece which is actually Copper-plated-Steel.
(Here are all 5 of the new pieces to the same scale.
Both sides are the same.)