Die Forged, Die Forging. Making the iron or steel die blank. Previous to the 20th century die blanks were forged by a person – die forger – who specialized in preparing special steel blanks that could withstand the pressure of striking. The die forger would supply mints, medalmakers and metalworkers with the die blocks or die blanks into which they would engrave, cut or hub the desired design. The die forger did not impart any design on the blanks. Today die forging is unnecessary as die blanks can be cut from high-quality bar stock or diestock with uniform high temper supplied by a steel industry capable of creating steel to exacting specifications.

The die forger was required to have a highly developed knowledge of the internal structure of iron, heat treating and tempering. Like a blacksmith or swordmaker he would alternately heat and hammer the steel to the desired temper. Some diestock was layered, forged layers of steel built one on another (to obtain high internal temper). Die blanks were ordered to the requirements of the mint or medalmaker by diameter, height and shape (most were cylindrical, but die forged blanks could be square, hexagonal or even cone or pylon shape) in addition to the proper temper.

The firm of G. Grayson of Providence, Rhode Island supplied forged die blanks in the 19th century to metalworking companies in New England. The firm typically punched their three-line name logotype on the die's side, signing the die blank, identifying their product. A large user of dies, like Scovill of Waterbury, which ordered die blanks from several die forgers, could identify over time who supplied the better quality die blanks.

Forging in this context means heating and hammering; it does not mean counterfeiting.