BU Versus Numismatic BU

No, PL coins were never double struck. The planchets (blanks) were polished prior to strike and the coins were struck on a slower press with higher pressure, with new dies.

Quatchi, you may have a point. I'll haul out my collection and take a second look as perhaps my 2010 set indeed is the Special Edition.

And thanks very much for that explanation SPP. I'm intending to once and for all satisfy my curiously that the difference is indeed discernible to the eye. Frankly I've always been suspicious that coinage from Uncirculated Sets is being misgraded as MS at an inflated price, particularly with the introduction of steel coin, and that's one of the major reasons I steer away from it.

I agree falcon, as from what I can read starting in 2011 the coins in the sets are just picked from coins that are going into circulation. Where before that they were produced with different presses.

After my holiday guests depart, I'm thining I'd like to post various versions of MS versus NBU minted shortly before and after 2010 in order to recognize the differences. A learning project -- I'm hoping others will contribute as well:-)

Just a comment......for collectors who choose to pursue up-to-date collections the cost at just over $20 for a finger-print-free and guaranteed Uncirculated set of annual coins is very reasonable as opposed to buying individual coins on ebay especially with shipping costs factored in. I also strongly suspect it's not uncommon for some private ebay sellers to pick coins from circulation and then advertise them as being from MS rolls. It's impossible to prove the source.

Although I can appreciate Uncirculated Sets are not a favourite of all, I maintain they're a perfect economical and convenient starting point for new collectors who then may later choose to go further back in time. Every one of us began somewhere!

Agreed, that's ideal....and obviously nothing better than accumulation at face value. But as the use of coin is continually reduced, getting mint rolls from local banks in each denomination is not always a simple task. And in these days of automated manufacturing/minting of steel coin, how many rolls or boxes or rolls does one need to look through to find better than MS-63 and would the average person even have the ability to recognize what they're searching for? There'd never be a way to know aside from paying the cost of grading which makes no sense at all in the case of the average collector who simply might choose to accumulate a decade or more of shiny, finger-printless coins backwards and forward into time.

In my opinion current and recent past years of Uncirculated Sets purchased at a reasonable cost can serve that purpose and therefore sustain and increase appeal of the hobby in general.

That somewhat applies to my own situation, that of conveniently and cost effectively filling gaps in more recent years for the sole sake of completeness, even though I fully realize that those same years will have minimal impact on the value of my entire collection. The option of buying 10, 20 or 30 years of 6x or 7x demonimation singularly, nope that'd be a pfffftttt, way too costly and time consuming. However my personal experience of searching and seeking Uncirculated Sets at a budgeted price over a period of time proved to become both challenging and fun! It's the enjoyment aspect that serves as the rewards of any hobby.....