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 Replies: 12 / Views: 6,677 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
655 Posts |
Are modern US satin finish coins a true variety worthy of collection? In reading the 2015 Edition of the Red Book I noticed that on pages 125 and 126 it specifically differentiates satin finish Lincoln Bicentennial cents from business strike and proof strike coins. It further calls out the mintage numbers for these satin finish cents and assigns a value of $10 to each. This well above the $4 assigned to the proofs. What I find most interesting is the fact that other satin cents do not get the same treatment. Years 2005 to 2008 and 2010 were also issued with a satin finish but receive no mention. Neither do satin finish coins of other denominations. What accounts for this apparent inconsistency? I would think that if the satin finish Lincoln Bicentennial cents are really worth mentioning then so would all the others. I for one have decided to include satin finish coins in my collection. And don't even get me started on the A position and B position dollars. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1211 Posts |
All coins issued in mint sets from 2005-2010 are satin finish. They are different from circulation coins from bags or rolls. For my state and ATB sets, yes, I do include them. I actually have a seperate blank quarters dansco for these and the s mints. I guess the 2009 Lincoln cents are just valued higher because they are popular. 2009 was a good year, the territories quarters bring a premium also, if I am not mistaken. Edited by Hondo
12/26/2014 10:47 am
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2543 Posts |
The 2009 Lincoln cents in the mint sets were satin finished copper, totally different from the proofs and the business strikes and unique to the 2009 mint sets.
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Valued Member
United States
335 Posts |
just curious - how really different are the matte & satin finishes from one another?
Edited by zookr
12/26/2014 12:32 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
589 Posts |
Satin finish is like the Special Mint Set issues of the 60's, burnished uncirculated, matte, enhanced uncirculated, reverse proof, standard proof...I'm probably missing some here...
Each is a coin either struck on specially made blanks to render the finish, or struck with specially prepared dies; and as such, in order for a set to be 100% complete, one needs to include it. However, collecting is all subjective, and while the requirements for true 100% completion are rather simple, it is not all-inclusive and you are free to determine how you consider your sets to be "complete".
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1158 Posts |
@zookr: They look quite a bit different when viewed side by side. It's not like a proof, but it's an obviously different finish. With enough circulation it may not be obvious, though.
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
655 Posts |
Here's a photo of satin, business and proof cents together. The proof and business strike coins appear polished and are very reflective. The satin strike coins have a matte surface. This is true for all cents issued in uncirculated mint sets from 2005 to 2010.  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
655 Posts |
Going back to my original question. Can anyone tell me why the good folks at Whitman would have included only some of the satin finish coins in there listings in the Red Book? Is there something special about the Lincoln Bicentennial cents that warrants their inclusion above all the others? What am I missing? Thanks. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2543 Posts |
As I said before, it has nothing to do with the satin finish. It has to do with the fact that the lincoln cents in the 2009 mint sets were made of bronze, the exact same composition as the 1909 Lincoln cents.The regular circulation strikes in 2009 were still made of zinc.
These coins were unique to the 2009 mint sets. Since only 771,000 of these sets were sold, this makes these Lincoln cents the second lowest mintage of any non proof lincolns, even less than the 1931 s cent, behind only the 1909 s vdb.
That is the reason for the value.
Edited by denco7
12/28/2014 4:53 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
655 Posts |
I guess you're right. That's the only explanation that makes sense. Although, the Red Book specifically calls them out as satin finish coins, not original composition coins. Thanks. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2543 Posts |
The satin finish distinguishes these coins (outside of the packaging)from the regular business strikes, thereby distinguishing them as the only non proof, non zinc lincoln cents made since 1982, made in bronze, in honor of the bicentennial of Lincoln's birth.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
62064 Posts |
I've never bothered with the satin finish coins. They are no big thing to me. But I'm a variety collector.
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Moderator
 United States
188770 Posts |
Uncirculated mint set coins have created a line between them and circulation strikes by using slower speed with more pressure and special handling after minting. Adding the special satin planchets only widened that difference, enough so that enough people feel that the satin finish coins are just as different as SMS coins of 1965~1967 and deserve recognition.
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Replies: 12 / Views: 6,677 |
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Posted 12/26/2014 12:21 pm
