Have you ever wondered how a nugget of gold can be turned into a whole new item with its own design? This article explains how gold is refined and how it can then be processed into coin. 
What to expect in this article
 - Gold refining 
- Miller method 
- Wohlwill method 
- Producing gold coins 
 

Gold refining 

The two most popular ways to refine gold are through the Miller method or the Wohlwill method. Besides these two most common methods, gold can also be refined by, for example, cupellation or by using a pyrometallurgical process.
 

Miller method 

The Miller method is known as relatively quick and simple. By using chlorine gas, gold is purified at its melting point. Substances contained in the gold are separated from the gold in this way and form a thin layer on the surface. Although this method is simple and fast, it is not possible to make gold purer than 99.95%. 
 

Wohlwill method 

Purifying gold until it has a pure gold content of 99.99% can be done using the Wohlwill method. This method uses electrolysis to purify gold. This process is more complex and is therefore only used on a smaller scale.
 

Producing gold coins 

After gold is refined, it can be processed into different products. If gold is used to produce gold coins, the gold is first poured into a large bar. It is then run until it has the right thickness for minting a coin. 
From these long sheets of gold, coins are then minted without any design on them. These coins with no obvious front or back are also known as 'blanks' in English. These blanks are then heated to soften the surface. After this, the coins are washed and dried and the ribbed edge is applied. 
In the final part of the process, the intended design is stamped onto the then blank coins using stamps. After this, the gold coin is completely finished. Take a look at all the gold coins we offer in our webshop. 
 
Disclaimer: The Silver Mountain does not provide investment advice and this article should not be considered as such. Past results are no guarantee for the future.