Wafer
Wafer. A very thin small metallic piece usually with design on one side only. The thinness of a wafer is usually necessary so the planchet can be as large as possible with
a fixed amount of metal content. The Lincoln Mint issued a Jimmy Carter inaugural wafer in 1977 made of gold; to keep the gold content down the one-inch piece was struck on a 1.5mm planchet – so thin it bends like foil. Often there is no design on the reverse and the piece is a virtual bracteate or shell with incuse reverse of the obverse design.excerpted with permission from
An Encyclopedia of Coin and Medal Technology
For Artists, Makers, Collectors and Curators
COMPILED AND WRITTEN BY D. WAYNE JOHNSON
Roger W. Burdette, Editor