David Ganz writes:

Joe Boling writes:

Dick Johnson writes:

Ron Abler writes:

Ken Bressett writes:

Hooray! Our readers are not moribund!In reply to Ken Bressett: Always authentic information from Ken. Correct on all counts.

In reply to Dave Ganz: Chromium plating first occurred at the Royal Canadian Mint in Ottawa in 1930 on the collars (but not the dies) to extend their life for striking the very hard high-nickel content five-cent pieces. By this technology the same mint chromium plated dies in 1942. Some pieces were struck only on one side with chromium plated dies. This gave a glossy surface to the struck piece. Can you find any of those one-sided glossy varieties on World War II Canadian coins? By 1945 the Ottawa Mint was chromium plating all dies, and this technology spread to other world mints. That glossy surface is sometimes described by collectors as "prooflike" but this is completely different from proof polishing of dies (which collectors call "full proof").

In reply to Ron Abler: The refining of metals by electrolysis is a different technology, even though both use the same word "electrolysis" (sorry, that's the shortcoming of the English language). Refining electrolysis breaks out the desired metal. Electroforming by electrolysis adds the desired metal to the pattern (which is called by many names: metalworkers call it a "core pattern" or "mandrel," mint workers call it a "dieshell" or "hubshell" depending upon whether it is negative or positive, in England it is even called a "former").

I also received this from Paul Lajoie:

I am unaware of either of these. Does anyone have any documentation of this occurring?

Ken Bressett writes:

To read the earlier E-Sylum articles, see:A PRIMER ON PLATING FOR ALL COLLECTORS(www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v13n46a05.html)
DICK JOHNSON ON ELECTROTYPING IN AMERICA(www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v13n31a16.html)