Like flake tobacco, spun-cut or coin-cut mixtures were originally developed to transport tobacco efficiently, and they're among the oldest styles of pipe tobacco, dating back over 400 years. Instead of pressing tobacco leaves into blocks — or plugs — coin-cut mixtures involve tightly spinning whole leaves into a rope, with pressure applied via twisting rather than by external weight or presses. In the same manner, then, as rectangular flakes are cut from a plug, circular coins are cut from this densely twisted rope. This style quickly developed a following among sailors and laymen, who could easily slice a few coins from a rope to enjoy a smoke, and coin-cut tobaccos remain popular among pipe smokers today.

As with flake tobaccos, the pressure used in the process of making coin-cut mixtures uniquely marries the flavors of the blend's individual components and also improves their aging, the maturing process deepening more so than with ribbon-cut blends. Spun tobaccos, though, allow for a slightly different blending aspect, with many coin-cut mixtures featuring a core of one varietal — often Perique, Black Cavendish, or Dark-Fired Kentucky — around which other tobaccos are twisted. Able to be rubbed out or stacked on top of one another, coin tobaccos are beloved across the pipe smoking community, especially by those who appreciate pressed blends, and below we've compiled a list of best-selling coin pipe tobaccos for your consideration, narrowing your options when trying a coin-cut for the first time and hopefully introducing you to some future favorites.

Top 10 Best-Selling Mac Baren Blends
• 10. Mac Baren: Dark Twist
• 9. Mac Baren: Vanilla Roll Cake
• 8. Gawith Hoggarth & Co.: Brown Twist
• 7. Peterson: De Luxe Navy Rolls
• 6. Savinelli: Doblone d'Oro
• 5. Three Nuns: Three Nuns
• 4. Davidoff: Flake Medallions
• 3. Newminster: No.403 Superior Round Slices
• 2. A & C Petersen: Escudo Navy Deluxe
• 1. Peter Stokkebye: PS403 Luxury Bullseye Flake

10. Mac Baren: Dark Twist

Introduced in 1955, Dark Twist has become a staple in the Mac Baren lineup, characterized by its dark, rich, and subtly sweet flavor and iconic coin cut. Dark Twist is made from blending two distinct kinds of spun ropes: The first rope consists of 100% Virginia tobaccos, with flue-cured leaf in the center wrapped in whole Virginia leaves. The second rope features a core of Dark-Fired Kentucky as the center, again wrapped in whole Virginia leaves. After maturing for several weeks, each of these ropes is sliced into delicate coins and blended according to a 2:1 ratio so that for every two all-Virginia coins in any given tin there is one coin of Dark-Fired Kentucky. What's great about this ratio is that it affords us pipe smokers near endless ways of customizing this smoke; you can add as many or as few of the dark-fired coins to your bowl as you want. You can stack them, rub them out, fold and stuff ... it's all up to you and your tastes.

Available in: 3.5oz | 16oz

Like Per Jensen says, if you wake up on a Monday Morning and you are feeling a bit off, just smoke the coins with the dark center, and you will feel alright again. There are two full Virginia coins to every Dark-fired center coin in each package. So, you can learn their flavors and strength, and self-regulate accordingly. ... If I were on a desert island, this might be the only tobacco I would need. And, it has that unmistakable Mac Baren natural flavor of, to me, brown sugar or whatever they use to case it. It is fantastic. Almost as good as candied bacon. And, better than candied bacon for breakfast, actually. Love this tobacco! - TGregg, 5-star review at Smokingpipes

• Components: Virginia, Dark- Fired Kentucky, Black Cavendish
• Family: Virginia
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9. Mac Baren: Vanilla Roll Cake

Mac Baren excels at manufacturing spun-cut pipe tobacco blends, utilizing traditional, by-hand processes and high-quality tobaccos. Vanilla Roll Cake represents the only Aromatic mixture to make this top-10 list, and the Danish blending house does an excellent job of adding just the right amount of Madagascar vanilla without overshadowing the inherent flavors of Virginias and Burley. Such a combination provides a profile marked by natural tobacco and smooth, creamy, and sweet vanilla that delights lovers of Aromatic and Virginia tobaccos alike.

Available in: 3.5oz | 16oz

I'm not typically an Aromatic guy but this stuff is phenomenal! You can still taste the zesty Virginias and that is rare with aromatic tobaccos. The vanilla is silky smooth, none of that goopy sauce crap. Treat yourself! - James B., 5-star review at Smokingpipes

• Components: Virginia, Burley
• Family: Aromatic
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8. Gawith Hoggarth & Co.: Brown Twist

Gawith Hoggarth & Co. are a historic English tobacco manufacturer that have been producing high-quality blends since 1887. The majority of their products are made using the same techniques and equipment they utilized in the 19th century, their traditional approach to blending and focus on quality tobacco affording them a devout following. Brown twist is a sliced version of Gawith's Brown Bogie rope, also known as Happy Bogie, and is an extremely full-bodied pure Virginia blend that's widely considered to be their most potent mixture, perfect for lovers of robust cigars and pipe tobacco alike.

Available in: Bulk

If you like a good nicotine kick? You'll love this tobacco. I do! More than just a good kick in the pants, this tobacco has a rich bold tobacco flavor too. It's amazing to me that such a strong full flavor tobacco can smoke so mild and smooth. This is a super premium tobacco and in my opinion Gawith Hoggarth's best tobacco. Let me also say I've smoked many different GH tobaccos over the last 25+ years and never been disappointed. My All Time Favorite! -Kevin P., 5-star review at Smokingpipes.com

• Components: Virginia
• Family: Virginia
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7. Peterson: De Luxe Navy Rolls

Originally a Dunhill blend, Peterson's De Luxe Navy Rolls combines hand-stripped Brazilian and African Virginia tobaccos with Perique from Louisiana for a pleasant, medium-bodied smoke intended for the avid VA/Per pipe smoker. The recipe remains identical to Dunhill's beloved mixture, ensuring that longtime aficionados remain satisfied, and even maintaining the original tin art, just re-branded for Peterson. De Luxe Navy Rolls is a staple exemplar of Virginia/Perique tobaccos, perfect for veteran smokers of such blends as well as for those interested in trying one for the first time.

Available in: 50g

Peterson/Dunhill Navy Rolls is definitely a desert-island Va/Per. Awesome blend with just a little aromatic sweetness. Similar to Escudo but lighter. - A Natural Man, 5-star review at Smokingpipes

• Components: Virginia, Perique
• Family: Virginia
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6. Savinelli: Doblone d'Oro

Italian for "Golden Doubloon," Savinelli's Doblone d'Oro pipe tobacco is an aptly named blend, featuring golden coins of Virginia, Burley, Perique, and Dark-Fired Kenyan varietals. The presence of Kenyan leaf makes this blend one of the most unique coin-cut mixtures on this top-10 list, offering a distinctly zesty flavor profile that's balanced by subtle spice and honey-like sweetness.

Available in: 100g

Savinelli got it right with their new tobaccos. I got a tin of this when it first came out and have been buying it ever since. The blend is well balanced, rich, flavorful, complex, and strong enough for the seasoned pipe smoker without being overwhelming for a newcomer. The flavors of the various components drift in and out, but none dominates the others. It comes a little drier than most, which means it's perfect for smoking without any dry time, and you get more smokes per ounce. It also ages well, burns clean, no bite. Nothing bad to say about this one! Try it! - AZ Mountain Geek, 5-star review at Smokingpipes

• Components: Virginia, Perique, Burley, Dark-Fired Kentucky
• Family: Virginia
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5. Three Nuns: Three Nuns

Bell's Three Nuns pipe tobacco enjoys an illustrious history, dating to the 19th century. A favorite blend of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, this mixture combines Brazilian Virginia tobaccos with Burley and Dark-Fired Kentucky, offering a wonderful incorporation of tangy tartness and grassy, floral sweetness, and it ranks as one of our top-50 best-selling tinned tobaccos overall.

Available in: 1.75oz

I have never left a review for any tobacco product I have purchased, not because they weren't good, just never did, but I had to write a review after trying Three Nuns. This tobacco, in my honest opinion, is the greatest tobacco that has ever been in my pipe! My new go-to for sure. I hardly smoke anything else anymore and will be getting plenty, plenty more of this! If you haven't tried it I can't express enough that you need to! Simply the best! - Kevin H., 5-star review at Smokingpipes

• Components: Virginia, Burley, Dark-Fired Kentucky
• Family: Virginia
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4. Davidoff: Flake Medallions

The Davidoff name is most closely associated with the Swiss brand's luxury cigars, having produced some of the finest cigars on the market since 1911. Davidoff's Flake Medallions follows that illustrious tradition but in the form of pipe tobacco, featuring Virginias and Perique wrapped around a core of unsweetened Black Cavendish. The Black Cavendish adds body and depth to the sweet and tangy mixture of Virginias and Perique for a flavor profile that fans of Peterson's De Luxe Navy Rolls will enjoy, earning Flake Medallions the number four spot on this list and ranking it among our top-25 best-selling tinned tobaccos overall.

Available in: 50g

I'm a huge fan of Va/Per coins and this is always in the rotation alongside Escudo and Luxury Bullseye Flake. - db Rush, 4.5-star review at Smokingpipes

• Components: Virginia, Perique, Black Cavendish
• Family: Virginia
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3. Newminster: No.403 Superior Round Slices

For Newminster's No. 403 Superior Round Slices, whole Virginia leaves are wrapped around a center of Dark-Fired Kentucky before being cut into thin, easy-to-rub-out coins. The two tobacco varietals combine for an enticing flavor profile that balances the Virginias' grassy, citrus notes against the Dark-Fired Kentucky's bolder, woodsy essence. It ranks as our third best-selling coin-cut pipe tobacco and within our top-50 best-selling bulk blends overall.

Available in: Bulk

The dark Kentucky and Virginia come together wonderfully. I'll be ordering this regularly. - Thomas R, 4.5-star review at Smokingpipes

• Components: Virginia, Dark-Fired Kentucky
• Family: Virginia
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2. A & C Petersen: Escudo Navy Deluxe

A storied blend originating in the early 1900s, Escudo Navy Deluxe has delighted pipe smokers for over a century, and though its manufacture has changed hands, the original recipe of this iconic, staple mixture has earned it a spot in countless rotations and on our list of best-selling Virginia blends. Pressed, spun, then cut into coins, Escudo Navy Deluxe features Virginia tobaccos from North Carolina and Perique from Louisiana, and the mixture is allowed to mature between being pressed and spun, deepening the flavors for a profile that balances notes of grass and sweetness with tangy spice. Perfect right out of the tin as well as with years of age, there's a reason Escudo is widely considered the King of Va/Pers, ranking not only second on this list, but also among our best-selling tinned tobaccos.

Available in: 50g

This blend compares well with the original Escudo that I smoked in the 1960s. It uses the Perique in the right way: It adds to the taste but does not knock your socks off. I compared a 30-year-old tin with this new one and it showed very well when compared. An example of a reissue that they really got right, maybe even better. - Peter R., 4.5-star review at Smokingpipes

• Components: Virginia, Perique
• Family: Virginia
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1. Peter Stokkebye: PS403 Luxury Bullseye Flake

Our most popular coin-cut blend, Peter Stokkebye's PS403 Luxury Bullseye Flake earns its name by wrapping Virginias and Louisiana Perique around a center of Black Cavendish. It was originally titled Luxury Curly Cut before changing in 2006 and is one of Peter Stokkebye's most popular blends, also ranking in our top-five best-selling bulk tobaccos. The Virginias offer natural sweetness alongside the fermented tang and spice of Perique, all balanced by the mellow aroma of the Black Cavendish.

Available in: Bulk

All the crazy adjectives have already been used; it's amazing stuff, period. Possibly the finest creation from Stokkebye, the Bullseye does not disappoint. Likewise, it deserves its "Luxury" namesake. At first I thought there wasn't enough B.C. in the center to really make a difference in flavor, but boy was I wrong! These coins are a top-notch VA-Per blend wrapped around the best unsweetened B.C. on Earth. They won't disappoint, and if VA-Pers are your thing, you're gonna love what these coins bring to the table. I usually have at least something negative to say about a blend — even some of my favorites — but I've got nothin'! - Olmstead, 4.5-star review at Smokingpipes

• Components: Virginia, Perique, Black Cavendish
• Family: Virginia
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This concludes our list of the top ten best-selling coin-cut tobaccos, ranked entirely by popularity. This is by no means an exhaustive list, and we have a wide variety of other coin-cut blends available on site in case deeper exploration is warranted. If you didn't see your favorite tobacco on this list, leave us a comment and let us know - it may make it into a future list!

Latest Updates (2023):
• Peterson: Deluxe Navy Rolls moved from #10 to #7
• Three Nuns: Three Nuns moved from #9 to #5
• Newminster: No. 403 Superior Round Slices moved from #8 to #3
• MacBaren: Vanilla Roll Cake moved from #7 to #9
• Savinelli: Doblone d'Oro stayed at #6
• Mac Baren: Dark Twist moved from #5 to #10
• Davidoff: Flake Medallions stayed at #4
• A&C Petersen: Escudo Navy Deluxe stayed at #2
• Peter Stokkebye: PS403 Luxury Bullseye Flake stayed at #1
• Gawith Hoggarth & Co.: Brown Twist entered at #8