I prefer to use the coins of my country (UK) and the 2p is the right size for lots of effects. But I couldn’t find a good expanded 2p shell. However, since few people carry coins now, I thought that the need for a shell that fits a borrowed coin is much less than previously. And an expanded shell is quite tricky to make. So I made a set of one unexpanded shell and four shaved down coins. In the picture the shell is on the left. There is hardly any visible overlap when the shell is over a coin. The wall thickness is 0.2mm, which is less than most commercial shells, and consequently it’s quite delicate. I will be ageing the coins next. And then try my hand at an expanded version.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/12iz94Je......=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-PNP8ky......=sharing

Hello Jolyon(!),
I'm not sure which I'm more curious about,
How you made the Shell,..
or your First name,.... : )

Seriously, though; your Shells look nice,..
from what I see.
How are you producing them?
With a Lathe?
CnC?

How do you plan to go about the Expanded Shell?
...any Plan?

I'm curious!

Thanks for any 'inspirations'!
gallagher

I made them on a CNC machine. 2ps were bronze until the mid 1990s, and then became steel with copper plating, very slightly thicker. I used old bronze ones since it would be easier to machine than steel, and for the shaved ones there wasn't really a choice. It does mean the shell would need to be shimmed for any pk effects.

As for expanding a shell, my research suggests that it's better to expand the coin before milling it, but that the pressure needed to squash it sufficiently would be hard to achieve in a home workshop, and the face relief would probably be damaged in the process. Annealing will help a lot, but my plan is to make an expanding collet that expands the coin near the edge rather than trying to squash the whole thing.

Hey Joly(!),
thanks for the Info(!),...
and congradulations!

I've,....'attempted', similarly,...
but with a small 'Clock-makers Lathe'.
....hand-spun!

To no avail, however... : /
My work wasn't 'fine' enough.
.....practise. practise. practise.....

Through my re-search, though.
I crossed paths with Graham Kirk.
(Un-fortunately, he's now deceased,...)
He shared with me his technique, for making Shells,....expanded(!).

....it's not bad(!).

He includes it, in his (EXCELLENT!) Book: 'Jumbo Coin Magic'.

If you can't track it down,
PM me,..
I'll send you an 'excert'.

Again, "Thanks!, for YOUR info."
gallagher