The design process comes right at the beginning of coin production. The designer models a plaster model to a larger scale. The shape is recorded from this model using a laser and is then digitalised. The original positive master tool for the coins, the body of the mother punch, is produced with this information. Multiple negatives are then produced from this: these are the dies. Using a pressure of up to 150 tonnes, these are used to produce coins. Over 4 million Euro coins can be produced and packaged automatically in the Hamburg Mint every day. Each of the 12 special machines can mint up to 850 coins per minute.