2011 Mint Set has a special finish???

ok, last night I was enjoying one of my guilty pleasures which is watching shopping channel coin shows. It doesn't matter who or what channel, because I ain't never buyin' any of their stuff, but I love to watch!

So, last night, Mike Mezack is selling 2011 Mint Set coins certified by ANACS. These were certified SP68.

I thought that the US Mint wasn't using any special finish anymore. I thought that they were using regular circulation strike coins for the Mint sets. Or is it that we misunderstood and assumed that when they said that they were discontinuing the use of the satin finish, that they would return to regular circulation strike coins?

Is PCGS or NGC certifying SP or SMS finishes this year?

 

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Not sure what the TPGs are doing. Here is a quote from US Mint website regarding the uncirculated coin set:

United States Mint uncirculated coins are struck on special presses using greater force than circulating coins, producing a sharp, intricately detailed image, and feature a brilliant finish. The coins are sealed in a blister and displayed in a folder. One folder contains coins bearing the “P” mint mark and the other contains coins bearing the “D” mint mark.

TC

 

All I know is what I read, and I haven't heard anything to the contrary.......

http://coinblog.org/no-more-satin-finish-mint-sets/



http://www.coinnews.net/2010/12/22/satin-finish-ends-on-us-mint-sets/

 

Who knows what Mucus-Zack is doing!

I submitted 2011 mint set coins earlier in the year to PCGS and they came back MS which is the way it should be.
The US Mint finally dropped the Satin Finish business and is now in the business of producing high quality strikes for the Mint Sets called Brilliant Uncirculated. No SP required unless the TPG's want to start grading all the past US Mint Sets SP.

I think that Mezack or whatever his name is, directed ANACS to grade them that way in hopes of pulling in some "less than knowledgeable" customers. But then, all his customers are "less than knowledgeable" now aren't they?

 

Can you direct ANACS to grade anything a certain way? This wasn't HSN's call. It is an ANACS slab, and so their grade and their reputation. I understand if you're self-slabbing, but any TPG who wants to have a reputation worth anything won't just take direction from a customer regardless of how much business they do with that customer. ANACS is not some fly-by-night self-slabber... but they may be turning the corner...

 

The 2011 mint sets contain business strike coins. They look nothing like the satin finish coins from 2005-2010.

http://coins.www.collectors-society.com/registry/coins/SetSlideshow.aspx?PeopleSetID=126485

 

While you're "technically" correct, once a coin is removed from its mint set packaging, it is not discernibly different from a coin struck for general circulation. As such, these coins are referred to as "business strike" or "brilliant uncirculated" strikes. Neither PCGS nor NGC grade modern mint set (post-1970) coins differently from business strike coins for any years except 2005-2010 (when the coins are obvious different Satin Finish coins).

The press itself does NOT make a coin circulation strike or mint set strike. The same press the US Mint may use for mint sets could be used by others for circulation strikes. My understanding is that the pressure and speed is what makes the mint set coins slightly different than general circulation struck coins (while these differences are basically nill outside of the mint packaging).

 

I get the Mint Set every year and have to say I liked the Satin Finish on the recent sets.
The 2011 set coins clearly are nicer than the average production strikes.
I wasn't aware that they were receiving a Specimen" designation from the TPGs though.

 

In a perfect world one would like to think so. But like the first strike and early releases which mean absolutely nothing except that the slabs can be sold for more money, the TPGs will put that on their labels because they can charge more for their services.

 

I've got a funny lookin' one from a mint set! Love how it's actually inside the set, mint's QC is really strict

 

And who the devil do you think is doing quality control? Certainly none with an numismatic background.....most assuredly, someone who is vision impaired........

 

But this wasn't a label or a special lot or other designation, D.T. this was a Specimen grade vs. a MS grade.

Doug:

If there is no difference and you and I know that they are clearly struck differently, then does that mean that we would likely see MS-70 or MS-69s in all of the 2011 coins?

 

I know this question was addressed to Doug, but I have to chime in. There are no (and likely will remain no) 2011 coins graded MS70 by either PCGS or NGC. The number graded MS69 are almost as rare as chicken's teeth, and will also likely remain so. There are two Kennedy Halves graded MS69 by PCGS, and both are listed on eBay for ~$5300 . From NGC, I own a Roosevelt dime graded MS69FT, one of only two Native American 2011 dollars graded MS69, two of the handful of presidential dollars graded MS69, and the only Chickasaw graded quarter graded MS69. All of these coins came from mint sets.

As Doug stated, almost all ultra-high grade 2011 coins will come from Mint Sets (as has been the case for many years). This is also further evidenced by the fact that business/circulation strike coins for years 2005-2010 are difficult to find in ultra-high grades (because the normal source of the mint sets contained Satin Finish coins!).

 

I don't know that you can say that. I have not found any good source that details exactly how the Satin Finish coins were produced and whether they were given more care than their previous (and subsequent) mint set "regular surface" counterparts. That or the Satin Finish surfaces in general were less prone to the little nicks or abrasions that held other mint-set coins back from the MS69 status.

While I don't disagree with you Doug, there are some absolutely stunning coins among the 2005-2010 SF coins that I have a hard time find anything wrong with even with a 20x loupe. I will say some of the ugliest coins I have from the SF era are some SP68 presidential dollars graded by PCGS. They have spots, marks, etc. and are not deserving of the 68 grade at all. But, for the most part, the coins graded 69 are really top notch. And, the handful of MS70s I have seen (including the MS70RD SMS 2005 cent I own) are a sight to behold.

On another topic: Can you explain to me or point me in the direction of a source that explains the exact difference between the Satin Finish strikes from 2005-2010 and the Jefferson 5-cent pieces from 1997 and 1994 and the Half Dollar from 1998 Matte Finish? I still can't quite wrap my head around what makes these two different, other than I believe the two Jeffersons and the 1998 Kennedy are considered "proof" strikes, so I assume they were struck twice and under extremely high pressure?