How to flatten pressed pennies? As you know, many pressed coin machines, for one reason or another, produce pressed coins that are not as flat as we'd like. Over the years, elongated coin collectors have explored different ways to straighten pressed coins. Of the many ways, the use of an inexpensive curved bracelet pliers has to be our top pick. Second place or maybe as a companion tool, the use of a good old bench vice when flattening extremely curvy, wavy pressed pennies. Both techniques can be easy with a little practice. Of course, please use a practice coin first and proceed with caution when trying any of these risky ParkPennies shenanigans because you are laughing in the face of danger and doing so at your own risk! Ordinary pressed coins only cost 50 cents even at Disneyland, so it's easy to practice and experiment on expendable coins.
Flattening pressed pennies with a curved bracelet pliers works great on coins without too much bend in them. The pliers can be stored in drawer until needed and will work with most any type of bend you might find in a pressed coin. It will flatten pressed coins that are curved in or out, have wavy bends, irregular hooked shapes, little ripples or significant bends... With a little practice, a curved bracelet pliers can make "flattened pennies" flat! :-)
Tips on how to flatten pressed pennies with significant bends or curves. A bench vice can be a good choice. I know... but, wait! :-) A bench vice with flat jaws will not usually completely flatten a pressed penny. However, it will reduce the curve and make it more manageable for follow-up adjustments by a curved bracelet pliers and save us some time. Placing pieces of hard cardboard or blocks of wood on either side of the victim, er, ah, I meant to say bent pressed coin,:-) will provide it with some protection from the hard surfaces of the vice's steel jaws. As you squeeze your first *practice coin* :-) between the jaws of the vice, the curved coin will become a bit flatter maybe even flat. If the pressed coin still has a little wave, curve, or bend, it can often be touched up with the curved bracelet pliers. I have even seen well experienced collector place a pressed penny on an anvil between two pieces of cardboard and tapping the bends out of it with a hammer (!) Scary, but, it worked for him after a bit of practice.
These cool curved jaws are designed to squeeze
a curve or wave in or out of a pressed coin.
Where the magic happens! The "reverse" bend
can take the curve or wave out of pressed pennies.
Above you can see how the pliers' nylon jaws are curved. When a warped or wavy coin is squeezed between the jaws, the opposing curve is pressed against the unwanted curve making a beautifully flat pressed coin. Our thanks to John O. who reminded me that a standard pliers, with padding placed on the pressing surfaces, can also be used.
