Satin Finish Coins

Oregon, huh? Pick me up a satin finish crispy bean burritto from Taco Time.

 

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Lol, prefer Burrito Boy.

 

Okay, got my carne asda tacos (trying not to get any on the coins), so, one more thought on satins before the game begins. Being the avid collector I am, I’d ultimately like to see the satins included in the albums with their own designation, thus allowing the inclusion of the business strike as well as the clearly distinct satin variety. But, until that happens, I want the best example of a coin I can afford to fill the P&D holes. So, should I choose and MS65 or 66 business strike or an MS68 or 69 satin? For me, clearly I’m going to choose the satin, as it’s clearly the better example, as well as the lower mintage coin.

 

a perfectly cool choice to make. Personally, I respect your right to collect any way that you like, that's the hobby. I encourage people to do their own thing.

I would be careful that you're not stepping into a trap with the satin finish coins, though. Lowest mintage does not equal desirability nor value.

The 1955 P, D and S Roosevelt dimes are the lowest mintage of the series (all lower than the 1949-S) yet the 49-S is the key.

The 1931-S Lincoln cent has a lower mintage than the 1914-D, yet the 14-D is the key.

The 1965, 66, and 67 Special Mint Set Kennedy Halves in MS-65 sell for around $10-12, the circulation strikes in MS-65 sell for around $40-50.

The list goes on. Although I respect your way of displaying (or collecting) your set, I am trying to point out to many others that the harder to find (in my opinion) is going to be the regular circulation strike coins, even if in a lower grade like MS-66 (versus the MS-68 and 69 SMS coins). They will likelier be the more desirable coins and it is this dismissive attitude towards them that ultimately encourages my scenario.

Collect what you like, but if you're looking for an increase in value long term, I don't think that the satin coins are the way to go.

 

As I read my own comments, just for the record:

I don't think that high grade circulation strike coins are going to give you the long term increase either. I think the biggest gains will be elsewhere in the coin world.

oh yeah... and enjoy the game!!

 

In my opinion the satin finish coins from these sets are and will be very common for the next 100 years. I see nothing in past coin history that would make me think differently.

 

what will really drive satin prices

The real impetus to rising values (other than MS69/70) will be if Whitman and others start putting slots (circles) in their coin folders. That will significantly increase demand. Likewise, if satin finish coins get separate listings in the Redbook.

 

I don't know, but I've been told,
that '09 Buff proofs are satin
finish.
Anyone know?

 

Yep, See the thread, Satin Coins Need Love Too, for information on how to contact Whitman - I'll post other album manufaturers addresses soon.

 

Yeah, don't get me wrong, I'm not saying the satins have any potential to be great rarities. However, one can buy "raw" ones all day long on ebay now for $1 to $2 each (like the Lincolns & quarters). And you can pretty much see the pattern, each year you go back fewer & fewer are offered, so they're drying up at those prices. So, if they were to go to $10 to $20 each soon, that's a heck of a return. My hoard isn't coming out for awhile, cause I figure they at least have that potential and maybe more. If you buy them right, you can even find some 69's, which are carrying a much higher premium.

 

Yeah, I miss the old days when there where BU, Ch BU and Gem Bu - most could tell the difference. Some days I can tell the difference between a 67, 68, or 69, other days I can't. I figure many collectors are just as happy with a 68 as they would be with a 70 and it's really the "collector/investor" with more money than experience that buys a grade that carries a huge premium from the next lower grade. So, for modern collectors of circulating series what is there - rolls, mint sets, and proof sets. I collect them all and cherry pick the higher grades and buy the low mintage (for modern issues) offerings from The Mint. Just so happens at this point the lowest mintages for modern circulating coins are the satins - if the proofs ever regain that status, I'll buy more of them.

Yep, lousy year for the Pac 10.

 

satin holes in albums

PLease don't. The satin coins don't look that much different from unc business strikes and the last thing I want to do is to go back and open up a bunch of mint sets

 

Hey sorry, the satins do exist and to a lot of us, including the grading services, think they look a lot different. Take another look, that satin finish is similar to a matte proof, and since they're struck with extra pressure, the details are formed properly. I don't know how many mint sets are typically broken up, but it looks like a ton of these satin sets are getting broken up so collectors can add the new variety to the series they collect. I'm using them instead of the business strikes to fill the P&D holes, until holes are added for them, because they look so much better.

 

business preferred

I agree that the satins look better than circulating business strikes.
However, it seems to me that the only people (apart from this forum) — and please, please don't take this as placing CoinTalk posters in the same group — are the Mike Mesacks and Alan Skantz's of the world when they push their 20 coin sets (business strike P&D mint, satin P&D mint S proof) of the 2009 lincoln cents for outrageous prices.
I guess that just prefer a really nice unc business strike. I've always thought that the mint decided to do satin finish as a way to promote more of their offerings based on financial considerations. Just my opinion.

 

Well, I’m not going to defend the big promoters, we can all see their abuses – yet, sometimes they do get it right and with the satins I think they are getting it right. Checkout eBay, the satins are hot!

Yeah, The Mint definitely produced the satins with the hopes of increasing mint set sales. Whether or not that strategy was a success, doesn’t negate the fact that they gave collectors a high quality new variety. If their strategy wasn’t a success, great – now we all have a low mintage new variety. If history repeats, that low mintage (for modern circulating coin series) will create demand in the future.

 

As P. T. Barnum said...

It's hard to distinguish trends from eBay sales. There are so many people who don't know what they are buying, or are trying to make a fast buck. IMHO the force driving the satin nickels and dimes on eBay is the fact that people think that these are the only 2009 P and Ds that they will ever see. In time, they will surface and then people will have to re-think the satins as substitutes.

IMHO the auction prices realized on eBay are completely undependable. A lot of the buyers are not knowledgeable and therefore drive prices up. This makes for a relatively unstable market and prices all over the board.

 

LOL, True, some eBay buyers don't know what they're buying, but I think they're the exception. Out of my thousands of sales, I've only had one return from a buyer who thought the coin was other than what it was. Guess some of those eBay buyers who don't know are just getting lucking by buying a low mintage satin at close to the business strike price.

 

Oh come on, cracking mint sets is fun, especially if there's a new distinct variety of coin in them.

 

Take a look at the pic of the Satin Oregon Quarter I just posted with my name and tell me that coin looks anything like a an unc business strike.