I'm Karl, and I flip coins into cool jewelry. Thanks for coming over to get to know me and my shop - Flip of The Coin Jewelry.

Professionally I am an optician, I'm the guy you see when you need glasses. Over 30 years ago, I started making glasses. Through that, I found that I really enjoyed making things and found fascination in the machines used in the process. Over the years I've dabbled in chainmail, silverwork, and copper art. I had been seeking out another craft, when I stumbled across someone making rings out of coins. I was instantly intrigued and invested in some tools to try it out myself.

In order to make rings, the coins had to be pretty large and I worked through them quickly, so I started buying demonetized world coins in bulk. As I was sorting through the pounds of coins, I noticed a couple of things. First, not so many fit the sizing criteria for rings. Second, there were a lot of captivating coins out of circulation. The intricate designs intrigued me. As I started to focus more on the smaller, more unique coins something clicked: these coins were pieces of history. They were from governments that fell, economic systems that no longer existed. It began to weigh on me that these little glimpses into past societies were going to fade and become lost.

I started to imagine who spent them, what was bought, the people who worked to earn them and use them to feed, clothe, and shelter them and their families. These coins are from circulation, they have dings and patches of patena, reminding us of their years in use. They are living history. Thus, Flip of The Coin was launched to preserve the heritage and the symbol that the coins represent.

Most of the coins and metals I use are base metals, which might turn your skin green without proper care. I use Renaissance wax to help prevent skin discoloration, but it will fade with time. It is best to take Flip of The Coin jewelry off when doing anything involving long exposure to water (such as washing your hands, dishes, showering, bathing, swimming, etc.). When you notice your jewelry starting to discolor, giving them a good polish should do the trick.

My focus has shifted to other types of jewelry, but I still do rings on a custom basis to individualize certain elements. If you are interested in discussing ring customization, email me at karlthecoinflipper@gmail.com, I would love to learn what you are looking for.