Beginner's Guide to Olympic Pin Collecting-Production Types

Although I certainly can't consider myself an expert on Olympic pin collecting, I would like to pass on some basic information about them in a short series of guides covering production types, manufacturers, categories, fasteners, and backstamps.

There are a number of production methods for Olympic pins. Cloisonné, Semi-Cloisonné, Soft Enamel, Die-Struck, Photo-Etched, and Photo-Dome are all popular methods.

Cloisonné pins require a complex process. The first of this type can be traced back centuries to China. The base metals used are copper and brass. Copper is the most common base metal. Color is provided by mixing powdered glass with purified water. The resulting paste is applied to small wells (cloisons) one or two colors at a time. The pins are then baked at an intense temperature. As one or two different colors are added with thin bamboo pens, they are fired again. The process is repeated until all the colors have been added. The finished pins are sanded until the surface is smooth. The colors are somewhat limited in cloisonné pins. There are about 110 which are widely used.

Semi-Cloisonné pins are made with essentially the same method except colored epoxy resins are used instead of powdered glass. There are almost unlimited colors available because of the resins. Other names for Semi-Cloisonné are Epola, Hard Enamel Cloisonné, and others. This is arguably the preferred production method currently used by the major manufacturers. Often these are plated with 24K gold.

How do you tell the difference in cloisonné and semi-cloisonné? Hold similar pins of both types side by side and some differences become somewhat obvious, although they can be quite subtle. The cloisonné has a bit more of a rough surface to me. The semi-cloisonné surface looks brighter because the colored epoxy reflects light more evenly. Cloisonné pins look hand-made. Close inspection of the large color areas will reveal tiny variations in the depth of the colored glass. They look like very small waves under a magnifying glass. On the whole semi-cloisonné pins have a more refined, machined, and smooth surface. If the pin has many color variations and has fine details, chances are it’s a semi-cloisonné type.

Enamel pins begin with die-struck brass or copper. Enamel paints are all applied by hand at the same time (unlike Cloisonné and Semi-Cloisonné). After the heat is applied a thin clear epoxy coating is often applied to protect the surface. You can easily tell if a Soft Enamel pin has the coating. If you can feel the small ridges that separate the colors, it has no coating.

Die-Struck pins are basically the base metal shaped with a mold. Brass and copper are the most common metals. This type can have a 3-D look because of the depth variations. Some additional finishes include an epoxy dome, antiquing, screen printing, and sandblasting.

Photo-Etched pins begin with large brass sheets. Many images are etched onto the sheet and enamel paints are added. These are usually thinner than other types. Many color variations are possible. Most manufacturers offer an epoxy dome and gold, silver, or black plating to compliment the basic colors of the design.

Photo-Dome pins are often used by corporations to produce Olympic Sponsor/Supplier pins. These are printed directly onto the base metal of copper or brass. There are no metal lines visible. Actual photos can be used. This means an unlimited color combination and gradients are available. An epoxy dome is added.