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Library/Paris Manuscript G/86

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Paris Manuscript G — 86

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Bibliothèque de l'Institut de France, Paris

Zecca di Roma1.

Puossi ancora fare sanza molla, ma sempre il maschio di sopra debbe stare congiunto alla parte della guaina mobile.

Tutte le monete che non hanno il cerchio intero, non sieno accettate per buone. E a fare la perfezzione del lor cerchio è necessario che in prima le monete sien tutte di perfetto circolo. E a fare questo e' si debbe in prima fare una moneta perfetta in peso e in larghezza e grossezza, e di questa tal larghezza e grossezza sie fatto molte lamine tirate per una medesima trafila, le quali resteranno a modo di righe, e di queste tali righe si stampi fuori le monete tonde, a modo che si fanno i crivelli da castagne, e queste monete poi si stampino nel modo sopra detto, ecc.

Pressa tagliente:

Il vacuo della stampa sia più largo da alto che da basso uniformemente e insensibile.

Questo taglia le monete de perfetta retondità e grossezza e peso e rispiarma l'omo che taglia e pesa e rispiarma2 l'omo che fa le monete tonde, adunque3 sol passa per le mani del trafilatore e dello stampitore e fa monete bellissime4.

Mint of Rome.

It can also be made without a spring, but the male [die] above must always stay joined to the part of the mobile sheath.

All coins that do not have the complete circle should not be accepted as good. And to make the perfection of their circle it is necessary that first the coins be all of a perfect circle. And to do this one must first make a coin perfect in weight and in width and thickness; and of this same width and thickness let many strips be made, drawn through one same draw-plate, which will remain in the manner of rods; and from these rods let the round coins be stamped out, in the way chestnut sieves are made; and these coins then be stamped in the manner said above, etc.

Cutting press:

The hollow of the die shall be wider at the top than at the bottom, uniformly and imperceptibly.

This cuts the coins of perfect roundness and thickness and weight, and spares the man who cuts and weighs, and spares the man who makes the round coins; thus it passes only through the hands of the wire-drawer and of the stamper, and makes most beautiful coins.

Coining machinery for the Mint of Rome

A stamping press and a cutting press to make perfectly round coins

Machines & Devices

This sheet designs machinery for the Mint of Rome (Zecca di Roma). A stamping device, which can also work without a spring provided the upper die stays joined to the moving sheath, underlies Leonardo's rule that only coins with a complete circle be accepted as good. Strips (laminae) drawn through a single draw-plate are punched into round blanks in the manner of a chestnut sieve and then struck. A separate cutting press, its hollow slightly wider at top than bottom, cuts blanks of perfect roundness, thickness and weight, sparing the labour of hand-cutting and weighing so the work passes only through the wire-drawer and the stamper.

On this page

Stamping press and the rule of the whole circle

The mechanism can work without a spring so long as the upper die stays joined to the mobile sheath. Only coins with a complete circle are good; to achieve this, strips of one perfect width and thickness are drawn through a single draw-plate and the round blanks punched out like a chestnut sieve, then stamped.

Cutting press for coins of exact roundness and weight

The hollow of the die is made uniformly and imperceptibly wider at the top than at the bottom. This press cuts coins of perfect roundness, thickness and weight, sparing the man who cuts and weighs, so the work passes only through the hands of the wire-drawer and the stamper and yields most beautiful coins.

Reader's Edition — described with AI from the e-Leo transcription.