Franklin Peale Peale designed a new machine to cut planchets, or blanks, from metal strips. This machine remained in use, almost unmodified, until 1902. Another of the steam-powered machines Peale had installed on his return was a milling machine, which was used to "upset" the coin—to form a rim around it. A Contamin portrait lathe was imported from France and installed at the Philadelphia Mint in 1837. Prior to this time, all coin dies for American coins had to be made individually, by hand at Philadelphia. Once the lathe was installed, they could be reproduced mechanically by the pantograph-like device. The first
Kyle Blanks up a spot in the outfield. Blanks also picked up a number of starts at first base in June while Yonder Alonso was on the disabled list with a broken hand. Blanks himself went to the disabled list on July 12 with tendinitis in his left heel. He returned on August 31 after a rehab assignment and spent the rest of the season with the club. For the year, Blanks set a career high with 88 games played and 71 starts. He hit .243 in 280 at-bats with 8 home runs. Blanks was chosen to start the 2014 season in