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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;cladking, post: 52624, member: 68&quot;]Mint set coins are struck on the old vertical single presses under higher pressure and with new dies.&nbsp; These presses are run more slowly and then the coins are washed and dried.&nbsp; The circulation issue coins are struck on the new horizontal quad presses and the coins are handled by automatic equipment into large bags which are shipped nation-wide and to a few territories and foreign countries.&nbsp; A small percentage are transferred at some point to be wrapped for sale to collectors by the mint.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>While the processes are much different the mint set coins are merely much more likely to be a high quality than the regular issues.&nbsp; There is no difference between a perfect mint set coin and a perfect regular issue coin.&nbsp; If you have a small quantity of each type though, the differences will be astounding.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>The mint has only announced a change in the way the dies will be prepared for the mint set coins.&nbsp; They willl be sandblasted and then chrome plated so that these dies will make coins with a little texture like matte which they refer to as &quot;satin finish&quot;.&nbsp; Unless other changes are also made then these will have the same problems with planchet flaws, striking errors, and marking that the earlier mint set coins have had.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>In the past only about 2% of mint set coins have been very choice (gem) and the rest are usually riddled with problems.&nbsp; Since perfect coins were rarely made for circulation and few ever even looked for them, about the only source for gems were in these mint sets.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>In recent years quality of all mint output has improved and far more people are spending far more time checking circulating coinage for gems.&nbsp; This means that more gems are being produced and saved.&nbsp; Still though, circulation issue gems are in some cases essentially non-existent so if all coins&#039; origin can be known then it will be much more complicated to collect or speculate in these coins.&nbsp; Imagine if only a few thousand of a states issue are made in gem for mint sets and then you&#039;ll still need a gem regular issue coin.&nbsp; This also could serve to make collecting either or both more fun and will lead to a charge on the banks for coins to check for nice specimens.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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