13 Extra Mint mill in Chur View of the «Münzmühle» [mint mill], around 1780. In 1592 the diocese of Chur established the «mint mill» at the edge of the old city. The local mill creek powered the water wheel for the minting machines. In 1637 the bishop’s mint merged with that of the city. Minting activity is documented until 1766.Image: Raetian Museum + Between 2014 und 2015 the Grisons archaeological office examined the area around the «mint mill».Photo: Archaeological Office Graubünden + Casting crucible from the mint Chur. The metal for the coin production was smelted in furnaces. Afterwards the pieces, with the gross weight of a coin, were either cast individually or from a larger piece of cast metal strip, the so-called Zain.Photo: Archaeological Office Graubünden + Waste from a Zain and unminted metal piece from the mint Chur. The finds demonstrate that minting was done by machine. Thus in the 18th century, depending on the number of staff, between 6,000 and 14,000 small coins could be produced daily.Photo: Archaeological Office Graubünden + Minting shafts with engraved coin designs. When minting cylinders were used, a metal strip (Zain) would be placed between two such revolving minting shafts. After that, the minted coins would be punched out. The minting shafts on display were used in 1765 to produce coins locally known as Bluzger of the bishop Johann Anton von Federspiel (1755–1777) and the city of Chur.Photo: Raetian Museum + «Bluzger» from Chur, 1766. The Bluzger was a very typical coin for the Grisons, used in the small trade and produced in large quantities between the 16th and 18th century.Photo: Raetian Museum + Minting stamp («Prägestöckli») for a Groschen of the city of Chur. During the so-called pocket minting process, two cylinders were used into which the minting stamp was set.Photo: Raetian Museum + «Groschen» of the city of Chur, 1733. Within 50 years in the 18th century alone, some 10 million Groschen were produced in the mint mill.Photo: Raetian Museum +