Do they come rolling off the presses into bins like business strikes? Or are the hits all post-mint damage?
Really??? They seem much nicer in all respects than business strikes. Just those minor little hits that you don't even notice without a loupe...
It's a mixed bag. For many years the coins found in mint sets are worse than what you can find elsewhere.
They used to, but they don't anymore. And haven't for years. Cladking can correct me if my memory is off, but I'm thinking it was '93 when the mint began the special minting process for Mint Sets. Change that to post strike damage and the answer is yes and no, I believe it's a mixed bag of reasons. Some marks left over are planchet marks, but given the special planchet prep (polishing) that the Mint Set planchets undergo, it makes sense there would be few of those. But there is still handling that the coins have to undergo after they are struck. And even though it is careful handling, done by machine, some of the coins still manage to pick up some marks.
While the process is better for mint sets compared to a few decades ago the coins are still treated as just coins by the mint. It wasn't until 2005 and the satin finish mint sets that the official word from the mint (none of us are there to see what really goes on) was that the coins were treated better and hand packed by employees for collectors. So form 2005 to 2010 you get a boat load of MS67, 68 and 69 grades out of mint sets. In 2011 and this last year it's back to business as usual gone are the SMS satin's (poor economy plus budget cuts) and you notice that most mint set coins are back to MS65 and 66 being the norms. So there will be "bag mark" type damage as they are mint sets and not proofs but also remember business strikes are made in the tens of millions and a few have reached the low billions then carted around in bins bags and the like until companies roll them where they are carted around some more. Plus the damage from rolling machines and coin counters. Mint sets at most have like 5 maybe 6 million made and the coins are carted to be packaged up and then carted around when shipped to you end of trip. More coins tumbling around on each other and more stops along the way leads to the opportunity for more damage to occur.
Thank you for the clarifications, gentlemen. Having searched a number of Kennedy Half Dollars from mint sets, I'm finding that the ones from the 90's are consistently better than the ones from the 70's and 80's. I have a lot of these bulk ordered, and I have the feeling it's going to take a while to assemble the "perfect" collection.