Increasing Mint Set Quality - Are They Still Business Strikes?

I have been adding uncirculated mint set coins to my albums the past six years. I am not finding (nor am I looking for) circulation coins to fill those holes. So, I do not have the ability to compare them.

I do know that the uncirculated mint set coins are given better care during minting. Dies are fresher. Coins are struck at lower speed and with higher pressure. They are absolutely different from what is struck for circulation.

So, I will say that I have been happy with the proof and uncirculated mint set coins I have been getting from the Mint.

I have been collecting uncirculated and proof mint sets for years - I usually double up on the sets so I can have an OGP set and one I crack open for my albums. (no I will not crack open any sets prior to 1960 though.

My sets start at 1950 and are all inclusive up to 2025.
I even managed to collect the Mint souvenir sets from both Philly and Denver - I have every one produced and sold at the Denver mint (1972 to 1998) and at the Philly mint so dated from 1973 to 1990.

For some reason the Philly souvenir sets are more rare and VERY expensive so finding 1972 and 1991 to 1998 id very difficult

Starting in the satin years I saved rolls and rolls of OBW coins since the satin sets mean nothing to me except for the nearly full copper cents in 2009. It's been hard not to sell those 2009 P OBW Jefferson rolls for $200 a pop!

Since then I have bought 3-5 sets a year and broken out the gems from each set to put in my #1 set. Usually, I only found a few gems in those sets.

2025 - I got three sets, discounted substantially due to the removal of the pennies. (I'll pick them up in a couple years when the hype dies down). Which reminds me, I gotta get those 2009 copper pennies! Anyway, these sets I had no problem finding almost a full set of gems with a few extras.

It just seems like cheating now. If MS66 coins are now so easy to find in modern sets then I am getting reluctant to call them business strikes. Clearly the process has improved dramatically over the last couple years.

Cladking, just the man I was hoping would swing by.

Maybe not all mint set coins are better than BU OBW rolled coins but in the past few years it seems that it would be nearly impossible to find better quality than the majority of mint set coins.

I guess I am just particularly shocked by the past couple of years of mint sets. They are just so well struck and for the most part very nick free compared to sets even 5-10 years back.

I haven't really found the need to search rolls as the mint set coins seem so superior. Maybe since I have only been actively upgrading for the past ten years the quality of older mint sets I am searching are really picked over.

Do you still go to mint sets for gem quality coins? Or are there pockets of years where you actively search rolls. I know my 70's and 80's BU coins are a challenge to find choice+/gems.

In your experience were the sets from 10-20 years ago so good that it only took a few sets to find such a large portion of gems as the past couple of years?

2025 in particular, the coins are ridiculous.
Highly polished surfaces, blemish free, & hammer strikes. To find a gem dollar and half from each mint out of just three sets is remarkable. Quarters, nickels and dimes seem to be in the multiples.

Of the three sets for 2025 it looks like I am just missing two Denver Quarters that wont make gem. Althea Gibson and Juliette Gordon Low.

Thank you Vector Ze !!!

That is really helpful. There is no question that the sets in 2025 have a 'brilliant' proof like finish. I am going to start looking closer at some of my sets dating back to 2011. It seems I have not opened most of them so its no wonder I am all of the sudden 'surprised'. I have some OBW rolls laying around too from that far back. Might be time for a deep dive.

I just feel weird about the 2025 set. It reminds me of the satin years but in a different way. Being a purest business strike collector I think I will have to start hording some rolls for the next few years just in case the grading companies decide to start distinguishing between mint set 'brilliant finish' coins and true business strike coins.

I have a gut feeling that future collectors will want gem graded coins that are from true business strike stocks. I am starting to lean that way myself after seeing these 2025 sets.

Vector Ze,

The hobby will keep you young and sharp! I have been stockpiling rolls, mint sets, and collections, for decades in preparation for a quiet retirement. I have visions of a custom coin desk set up with a very big magnifying lens!

So Gemini AI says - For coins struck after 2011, PCGS generally does not distinguish between Mint Set coins and business strike (circulation) coins in terms of grading prefixes. Both are typically labeled with the MS (Mint State) prefix.

Since 2011, the U.S. Mint returned to using the same standard brilliant finish for both Mint Sets and circulation rolls. Because the manufacturing process and the visual appearance are essentially identical, PCGS grades them the same way.

So I guess its just searching expensive mint sets for the foreseeable future to increase my chances of finding gems. I will still set aside some rolls if I find them but with all the circulation coins they are pumping out now is seems crazy to set aside hundreds of dollars in fiat currency, especially with silver prices the way they are heading.

Sorry I am all over the place with this thought thread. I guess I needed to put in writing to figure it all out...

I don't have time right now but will be back.

While most of the older mint set coins are pretty mediocre a significant minority are Gems. This ranges from as low as .2% for '76 type I ikes to 8% for '72-D quarters. Some later coins like '88-D pennies are nearly half chGem. I usually figure the old sets run about 2% Gem. Among these 2% are the super grade registry coins.

For the main part there are any rolls to search but I searched them in the old days and Gems tended to range from non-existent to rare. Sure, it wasn't too hard to find roll coins without scratches but they would usually be poorly made by worn dies.

There are some exceptions such as 1977 Ikes where there are some rolls and do have Gems. This might be true of some date cents and nickels as well but nickels tend to be poorly struck.

Finding Gem and very chBU coins in mint sets is like shooting fish in a barrel where even if you could find a fishing spot in circulation issues most will be nearly empty of fish.

Gems got much easier after 1995 when the mint admitted they take extra care for mint set coins and then improved tremendously in 1999 when people started collecting from circulation again.

It's a great hobby!

It's been as much fun selling my coins as it was collecting them and now the bulk and hard work is behind me.

Coins certainly help keep you focused and tied to your fellow man and current events.