There is no hard technical limit, but every colour is filled as a separate operation, so each one adds cost, and a design becomes harder to read long before it becomes impossible to manufacture.

The real constraint is physical rather than numerical. Each colour sits in a recess bounded by raised metal lines, and those dividing lines need enough width to hold the enamel apart. Very small colour fields next to one another can bleed, so a design with many tiny separate areas hits a practical wall before a counted one.

What this means for your design:

  • Most coins use four to eight colours. That covers a typical unit crest, a department badge or a corporate logo with room to spare.
  • Beyond that, check the detail size. A dozen colours across large fields is fine. A dozen across a crowded 1.75 inch face is not.
  • Fewer often looks better. Reducing a palette tends to strengthen a design rather than weaken it, and it reduces cost at the same time.

Colours are matched to your references, including Pantone and PMS values.

See colour work in our gallery, or request a free quote with your artwork.