I was just wondering what everyone does with their uncirculated Annual coin sets(not proof sets)? Do you pop the coins out to fill holes in your albums? Send them to grade hoping to get an ms-70 to sell for premium? Or do you just get the set because? I ask this because I was thinking of popping them out to fill wholes in some of my albums (the presidential dollars, Am the beautiful, and my Jefferson date set). But wanted to know if this is just crazy to do or is this what everyone does. So simple question what do you do with yours?? edit: spelling
Most people buy 1 for their collection, 1 for removing the coins and submitting for grading and slabbing.
Most of the best coins go into mint sets so this is a great source for nice quality coins. This is mostly true for world mint sets as well and since coins aren't stable in the packaging I cut most of these up for my collections. Even those that are stable I often cut up. Ultimately it's about coin collecting, not original packaging collecting. While you might lose a lot of money destroying a set you will lose a lot more if the set turns bad as they often do.
Ever since the Mint introduced the SQ Program, the cost of buying "one of everything" from the Mint has gone up and up and up. About 6-7 years ago, you could have bought one of everything for about $9k. Now, that has risen to about $20K. I stopped buying the Uncirculated Mint Sets when they introduced the satin finish in 2005. Until that time, if you wanted a high-grade business strike, you had the best chance of getting it from the Mint Set. Now, the only way you can get them is from bags and rolls. But, there is a method to their madness. If collectors want to fill sets with both business strikes and satin finishes, they have to buy, both, Mint Sets and bag and/or rolls. It's just another ploy to separate you from your money. I'll stick to searching for Sac & Kennedy business strikes from bags & rolls. It's cheaper in the long run. The heck with the satin finish! Chris
For my own sanity, I decided not to differentiate between satin and business strike in my collection.
How does the minting of a satin finish coin differ from business strike? I'm sure there is an obvious way, but a couple years ago i didn't know they offered satin finishes.
The only difference is that the dies are chromium plated. initially they also took greater pains to see to it that more gems got out of the mint but my understanding is that recently quality has been poor.
Mint Sets with the satin finish were first introduced in 2005. The dies are bombarded with a special mix of glass beads and sand granules. The handling of the coins is totally unlike how previous coins for the Mint Sets were processed. Now, they are processed by hand almost like how you expect that proof coins are processed. That is why so many higher-grade coins are produced with the satin finish. Chris
In addition to all mentioned above, the satins are also struck with more pressure, making them closer to a matte proof than a business strike. Although I still collect business strikes, I think the satins and silver proofs are the only ones worth speculating on, due to their low mintage. It's sad but true, 2005 & 2006 sets have better quality coins and the lower mintage later sets have poorer quality. Looks like the mint started handling them more like business strikes, producing less high grade examples, in an effort to lower production cost and increase profit.
I don't normally buy mint sets every year. I have bought one for my kids birth years, as well as for mine and my wife's and recently bought one for my nephew's birth year (2009) and liked it so much for the Lincolns I bought one for myself. Thats why I've bought the few that I have. Guy~
Mint set coins have been struck with new dies at lower speeds and higher pressure since 1965. They improved handling a lot in 2005. They used to wash and dry the coins in a cement mixer like machine that tumbled them with ground corn cobs. It's likely that this damaged many of the coins. There might be a new procedure for washing and drying. The mint has always said that mint set coins were like all the others and implied production techniques are the same. This isn't true. They upgraded the process with the advent of the SMS and never changed back though they don't normally give the dies some proof processing as with the SMS.
Well, the mint did advertise that satins are struck with higher pressure than business strikes and it's apparent not only in the superior detail, but too in the higher, almost wire rims. Prior to 2005 the mint did say that mint sets contained the same coins produced in the same manner as business strikes and mint set coins were pulled from bins of business strikes. Prior to 2005, the TPG'er do not recognize any difference between business strikes and mint set coins. Having purchased many mint sets prior to 2005, I'd have to say that most were of the same lousy quality as what I found in rolls, often I could find better in rolls. So, based on my own experience, mint statements and TPG'ers opinions I can't believe prior to 2005, mint sets contained different varieties of coins, as they do after 2004.
