Precious metal sheet display and method of manufacturing

Abstract

A precious metal sheet display includes a sheet of precious metal cut into a form, and a layer of ink on the sheet such that the ink, the metal, and the form together create a recognizable image.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A precious metal sheet display comprising:
 a sheet of precious metal cut into a form; and   a layer of ink on the sheet such that the ink, the metal, and the form together create a recognizable image.   
     
     
         2 . The precious metal sheet display of  claim 1 , wherein the ink covers less than 75% of a surface area defined by a side of the sheet on which the ink is applied. 
     
     
         3 . The metal sheet display of  claim 2 , wherein the ink covers less than 50% of a surface area defined by a side of the sheet on which the ink is applied. 
     
     
         4 . The precious metal sheet display of  claim 1 , wherein the sheet has a thickness of between 2 mils and 10 mils. 
     
     
         5 . The precious metal sheet display of  claim 1 , wherein the form into which the sheet is cut defines an outline of a recognizable object. 
     
     
         6 . The precious metal sheet display of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a layer of transparent material covering a side of the sheet containing the ink.   
     
     
         7 . The precious metal sheet display of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a first layer of transparent material covering a first side of the sheet and a second layer of transparent material covering a second side of the sheet, the first and second layers of transparent material being secured together to sandwich the sheet therebetween.   
     
     
         8 . The precious metal sheet display of  claim 7 , wherein the first and second layers of transparent material are secured together using fasteners. 
     
     
         9 . The precious metal sheet display of  claim 8 , wherein the fasteners are treated with an adhesive to inhibit removal. 
     
     
         10 . The precious metal sheet display of  claim 8 , wherein the fasteners are in the same color family as the precious metal. 
     
     
         11 . The precious metal sheet display of  claim 7 , wherein at least one of the layers of transparent material has indicia thereon. 
     
     
         12 . The precious metal sheet display of  claim 7 , further comprising security means provided on one of the layers of transparent material or on the sheet. 
     
     
         13 . The precious metal sheet display of  claim 12 , wherein the security means is a security sticker. 
     
     
         14 . A printed precious metal sheet display comprising:
 a sheet of precious metal cut into a form, the sheet having a thickness of between 2 mils and 10 mils;   a layer of ink printed on the sheet of precious metal, the ink covering less than 75% of a surface area defined by a side of the sheet on which the ink is applied, such that the ink, the metal, and the form together create a recognizable image; and   a first layer of transparent material covering a first side of the sheet and a second layer of transparent material covering a second side of the sheet, the first and second layers of transparent material being secured together by fasteners to sandwich the sheet therebetween.   
     
     
         15 . A method of manufacturing a printed precious metal sheet display, the method comprising:
 printing ink directly onto a sheet of precious metal using an automated printing device; and   cutting the sheet into a form using an automated cutting device;   wherein the form, the ink, and the metal together create a recognizable image.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein cutting the sheet into a form includes cutting the sheet into a form sized and configured to provide a predetermined weight of the precious metal. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein printing the ink is performed with an inkjet printer. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein cutting the sheet is performed with a CNC laser machine. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein cutting the sheet into a form occurs after the ink is printed onto the sheet. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising sandwiching the printed and cut sheet between two layers of transparent material.