Coin Blanks for Laser Engraving: A Full Guide

Laser engraving coins is becoming increasingly popular among creatives, collectors, and small businesses looking to produce customised or commemorative tokens. Whether you’re engraving intricate artwork, logos, serial numbers, or simple text, the journey starts by choosing the right coin blank. The material, finish, and compatibility with your laser machine will all impact the final result—and how long it lasts.

This guide walks you through the most common metals used for coin blanks, key considerations when selecting materials, and why OMTech fiber laser engravers—especially the OMTech Autofocus Galvo—are a perfect match for precision engraving on coins.

Most Common Coin Blank Materials for Laser Engraving

Brass
Brass blanks are a go-to for their rich golden tone, affordability, and great engraving results. They’re soft enough to mark deeply, and contrast well after oxidisation or darkening.

• Pros: Inexpensive, good contrast, traditional appearance

• Cons: Can tarnish over time if uncoated

Aluminium
Lightweight and corrosion-resistant, aluminium is ideal for laser marking, especially when anodised. It engraves with strong contrast, but raw aluminium can be quite reflective.

• Pros: Lightweight, rust-resistant, economical

• Cons: Polished surfaces may require prep or power adjustments

Stainless Steel
Favoured for durability and resistance to wear, stainless steel coin blanks are perfect for high-use or long-lasting tokens. They engrave cleanly with a fiber laser.

• Pros: Long-lasting, professional finish, corrosion-resistant

• Cons: Requires more power for deep engraving

Copper
Copper’s natural red hue and excellent conductivity make it a beautiful and detailed material to engrave. However, it patinas over time and scratches easily.

• Pros: Soft and detailed, classic look, highly conductive

• Cons: Tarnishes, delicate surface

Titanium
Titanium is known for strength, low weight, and the ability to achieve vibrant oxidised colours during engraving. You can create colour shifts like blue or gold without additives.

• Pros: Strong yet light, colour effects possible

• Cons: More expensive and harder to source

Silver and Gold
For high-end or commemorative coins, silver and gold offer unmatched appearance and engravability. Their softness allows clean, deep etching, though they are costly.

• Pros: Luxurious finish, great detail

• Cons: Expensive, prone to wear without a sealant

Iron or Carbon Steel
Tough and cost-effective, these blanks are common in budget tokens. They’re easy to engrave but should be coated to prevent rust.

• Pros: Sturdy and affordable

• Cons: Rusts without protection

What to Consider When Choosing Coin Blanks

1. Material Hardness
Softer metals (brass, gold, aluminium) require less power to engrave. Harder metals like titanium or stainless steel may need multiple passes or stronger wattage.

2. Thickness
Standard coin blanks are 1mm–3mm thick. Thicker blanks allow for deeper etching and longer-lasting designs.

3. Reflectivity
Highly polished surfaces like gold or aluminium can reflect the laser beam and reduce efficiency. Anodised or matte finishes tend to perform better.

4. Surface Finish
From brushed to polished, the surface texture affects how the engraving looks. Brushed finishes minimise glare and enhance contrast.

5. Edge Finish
Coins may have smooth, reeded, or milled edges. While lasers don’t impact edge style, it can improve the professional appearance of the finished product.

Why OMTech Fiber Lasers Are Perfect for Coin Engraving

Engraving metal coins requires speed, accuracy, and flexibility with different metals. OMTech’s fiber laser machines, especially the Autofocus Galvo model, are built for this exact purpose.

The OMTech Autofocus Galvo Fiber Laser comes in 20W, 30W, and 50W models. Its autofocus head simplifies setup, and it’s tough enough for regular production use. It handles deep engraving with ease, reaching speeds up to 10,000 mm/s. You can engrave small batches or run production-level jobs on various metals without switching machines.

Compatible metals include:

• Brass

• Aluminium

• Stainless steel

• Copper

• Titanium

• Gold and silver

• Iron and carbon steel

Whether you’re producing keepsakes, promotional tokens, or collector’s coins, OMTech fiber lasers have the reliability and power to meet your needs.

Final Thoughts

Laser-engraved coins are more than just collectibles—they’re durable tokens of meaning, memory, and identity. Choosing the right metal blank is just as important as having the right machine, and with the wide variety of metals available, you’re only limited by your creativity.

OMTech’s fiber lasers, including the Autofocus Galvo model, are engineered for detailed, long-lasting etching. Whether you’re engraving fine text or bold artwork, you’ll get precision and speed in every job.

Ready to bring your ideas to life?
Visit OMTechLaser.au to explore our lineup of fiber laser engravers and start transforming metal blanks into coins that truly stand out.