Bas-relief sculpture is the type of sculpture used to make masters for the reproduction of coins and medals from reductions.  It may not always be the best method for producing a die, but offers some dramatic alternatives to manual die-cutting.  There are typically two kinds of relief used for producing coins and medals.  Coin relief implies very shallow modeling, and high relief has a more dramatic look, with highly sculpted elements in the design.  Once a master is made from the sculpt, it can be used to reproduce the die for the striking process.  Shown on this page are several examples of bas-relief sculpture.
Bas Coin Relief	Bronze Sculpt Reductions		Nickel-Silver Sculpt Reduction