PCGS and NGC are slabbing the 2016 Code Talker Enhanced Dollar in the C&C Set as "Specimens." The U.S. Mint describes their finish as "Enhanced Uncirculated." What gives?
Then it must be the production method, employed by the mint, that causes the TPG companies to classify them as such. There is no special finish or production method related to the W dimes. They're struck the same as regular business strikes. The enhanced Sacajawea's are not. I believe the nickels in the 1993 Thomas Jefferson 3 piece set (commemorative) & 1997 Botanic Garden Coin and currency set are graded as 'specimen' also, as the production method was contrary to regular production methods.
Last years C&C set got the SP designation from PCGS as well. There are some ASE dates with the SP as well when they called it a burnished coin. It seems that sometimes for modern NLCT stuff they just use it to differentiate between special issues and the MS coins so they don't drag the value of the top pop MS down.
Actually, at least NGC (I don't submit to PCGS) has been fully consistent in this. To my knowledge, all coins that have gotten "Enhanced Uncirculated" treatments are prefixed "SP". Both previous Native Americans have (last year's I sent got a SP70). the freaky ASE's did, the EU Kennedy half from the 2014 silver set did. Yadda, yadda. Reverse proof? No. Those are prefixed as proofs, but EU's are SP. For me, anything modern that doesn't have a spot in the "with proofs" Dansco book gets a NGC slab. Varieties and subtypes.
Yuppirs, both the 1994 and 1997 nickels are now universally SP's. In the beginning, it took awhile for the TPGSs to settle on a designation.
