I am really interested in this topic, but I am having trouble
visualizing exactly how these are made. How is the coin held -
vertical or horizonal? How is the spoon held - front or back - top
or bottom? It seems that some said to start with a hole drilled in
the center - and I thought one said to drill it at the end…
I have always been facinated with these, and would love to make one.
I am more visual, and sometimes written directions are difficult
for me…
Thank you.
Stephanie
I’d never heard of these before, so I did a web search on how to
make one. I found a site with pictures showing each step of the
process. http://dlclark.tripod.com/coinring.htm If anyone has ever
made one before, is this how it’s always done?
Kathy Johnson
Feathered Gems Pet Motif Jewelry
http://www.featheredgems.com
Stephanie,
The spoon is held with the edge up, and could be braced against a
broomstick or some such, which is what I did. I put my hand around
the wooden shaft, with my thumb and forefinger held just high enough
to trap the coin edge-on against the end, and whacked it with the
spoon. The inner curve of the spoon will shape the outer curve of
the ring, so you need to hold it “upside down” while you use it as a
hammer.
I put a picture up on my website of the shape the coin is in at
various stages, perhaps that will help:
It might be considered cheating, by purists, but I’d recommend
annealing the silver coin after a while – the things get really hard
while you’re working them. 
Loren
Stephanie,
Regarding just how these coin rings are made, they are held in the
hand, between thumb and forefinger, edge up, and while being
rotated, struck on the edge with the bottom of the spoon. I’m sure
there are more efficient ways to accomplish the same result, but
that’s the way it was done back in my Navy days. Standing in a long
chow line you could listen to the constant tap tap tap of of rings
being formed as the line moved ever so slowly toward the sumptious
feast you knew awaited. Yeah, right! 
Jerry in Kodiak
Hello Kathy: Yes, the site shows the way coin rings were (are?)
made. When I was in New Guinea during WW II, you could hear the
ding-ding-ding all over the place anywhere troops were bivouacked. I
was crew on a small Army freighter carrying ammo, gasoline, food,
mail, etc. up and down the NW-SE coast from Milne Bay to Biak. We
came in contact with numerous troops, both Australian and American.
The end of the spoon handle was held lightly between the thumb and
index finger (thumb up with the bottom of the spoon down)) and was
bounced off of the coin edge. The coin was on any hard solid surface.
When the rhythm was right there did not seem to be a need for any
upward pressure on the spoon. The spoon bounced back off the ring and
it took only a little pressure to keep the rhythm going. The spoons
used were GI issued tablespoons. These were heavy stainless steel
spoons. Hitting very hard was counter productive. All the rings I
saw made were made from the Australian Florin (sp.?), which was a
silver (alloy?) coin between a quarter and a half dollar in size. It
was worth two shillings The centers were bored with a bayonet point
(or drilled if a transport or armor unit was close by) and then filed
with round files. Time was not a problem for those folks. We really
enjoyed visiting the Australians. They were a great bunch of people
who got a liquor allotment every month. We would trade them American
cigarets for booze. Where there is a will, there is a way!
Captain Blood
"Marlinespike Seamanship in Precious Metals"
@Alden_Glenda_Blood