Relief Etching
Relief Etching. A method of producing raised relief by dissolving away all incuse surface area with acid leaving the wanted raised area undisturbed. This is accomplished by coating the surface with a wax forming an etching ground and scraping away the area to have the incuse area eaten away by acid. Such a piece has no modulated relief – it is a flat original surface with incuse design areas. See acid etching, photoetching.
excerpted with permission from
An Encyclopedia of Coin and Medal Technology
For Artists, Makers, Collectors and Curators
COMPILED AND WRITTEN BY D. WAYNE JOHNSON