Difference Between Burnished And Satin American Silver Eagle / ASE ?

To participate in the forum you must log in or register.

Author	Replies: 8 / Views: 3,913
winterhawk Valued Member United States 109 Posts	Posted 12/08/2023 4:12 pm It has been awhile since I've collected Silver Eagles. What is the difference between Burnished finish or a Satin finish? Is this an example of Burnished? * Moved by Staff to a more appropriate forum. * Report this Post to the Staff

igwt79 Pillar of the Community United States 1460 Posts	Posted 12/08/2023 5:31 pm From a Great Collections article: "Satin Finish, Burnished Coins and Specimen Grades... PCGS, NGC and ANACS refer to these coins as Satin Finish, Burnished and/or Specimens - they have changed over the years, however, they are all interchangeable. PCGS recently changed (in the past few years) to calling all of these types of coins Specimen (ie. PCGS SP-70), as opposed to SMS MS-70." Also from a quick internet search, several sites/articles indicate that the terms Satin Finish and Burnished are interchangeable, and that the U.S Mint does not use these terms. So, I don't really know the exact answer to your question, but I would tend to lean toward those two terms having the same meaning. It also appears to my old eyes that the coin you posted does appear to have an almost satiny matte appearance and having the "W" Mint mark makes me think it could be an uncirculated collectors' piece (satin, burnished, specimen). Perhaps other more experienced and knowledgeable folks here will have a better answer for you. Nice coin! Report this Post to the Staff
winterhawk Valued Member United States 109 Posts	Posted 12/08/2023 5:52 pm Thanks, that is very helpful! Report this Post to the Staff
winterhawk Valued Member United States 109 Posts	Posted 12/08/2023 5:56 pm This was the most informative link I was able to find. https://silvereagleguide.com/2007-silver-eagle/ Report this Post to the Staff
Dearborn Moderator United States 94636 Posts	Posted 12/08/2023 7:46 pm Never heard of a 'satin finish' to include the ASE's Proof, reverse proof, Burnished (uncirculated), and Bullion. I thought that the 'satin finish' was limited to denominations from 1 cent to the small dollar coins from 2005 to 2010. Collecting since 1972. Learning from then on "Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn." - Benjamin Franklin 7070 type set coin count: 51/76 Uncirculated American Silver Eagles My American Silver Eagle Proof Collection Sacagawea Dollars Innovation Dollars Eisenhower-Dollars Kennedy-Half Dollars Washington-Quarters Roosevelt-Dimes Buffalo-Nickels 1938-2005 Jefferson-Nickels Lincoln-Cents Report this Post to the Staff
Morgans Dad Pillar of the Community United States 5601 Posts	Posted 12/10/2023 5:25 pm Uncirculated Finishes ...................Mint Marked Collector's Coins..... Edited by Morgans Dad 12/10/2023 5:26 pm Report this Post to the Staff
Gilly Pillar of the Community United States 1213 Posts	Posted 12/10/2023 8:56 pm The Mint terminology for the 3 annually released coins are bullion, Uncirculated, and proof. The bullion and Uncirculated are similar in appearance. The bullion, first of all, carry no mint mark. They are also not sold directly to the public. They are sold in what is referred to as monster boxes, and from the mint, they are sold to authorized purchasers, not the public directly. The Uncirculated appear very similar to bullion, but do have a mint mark. They are sold to the public individually. As far as "satin", the bullion and Uncirculated could both be described as satin. The proof is usually referred to as a mirror finish. The proof ASEs also have a mint mark and are sold to the public. Hope this helps clear it up for you. Oh and Uncirculated ASEs are often referred to as burnished. Bullion, in addition to being called bullion, are also referred to commonly as "business strike". So the bullion and Uncirculated aka burnished have a satin finish, the proof ASEs are mirror finish, again this is all very generic and could apply to any coin. The ASE shown is a 2007W Uncirculated, which was the second year Uncirculated ASE. Edited by Gilly 12/10/2023 8:58 pm Report this Post to the Staff
Dearborn Moderator United States 94636 Posts	Posted 12/12/2023 10:50 am Lets try to avoid using the term satin for these coins - it just gets confusing. Here is some info on Burnishing: By Michael G. Fahey Special to Coin World https://mikebyers.com/coinworld061801.html The first problem is with the term "burnished." Most numismatists employ this term when referring to a coin that has been artificially enhanced by polishing or treating the surfaces. Early copper enthusiasts are most familiar with the term "burnished," as it refers to the thousands of U.S. large cents and Half Cents that have been worked on to remove surface corrosion, hide defects or enhance the appearance of a "problem" copper piece. However, the U.S. Mint uses the term "burnished" in a much different context. All burnishing that took place during the manufacture of the Goodacre pieces occurred to the blank planchets. To the Mint, "burnishing" means that the unstruck planchets were placed into a drum containing tiny metal pellets along with a liquid medium. This entire mixture was then tumbled. The blank planchets were scoured of any surface contaminants during this operation. They were also thoroughly pockmarked by the rough contact with the tiny metal "BB's" being used. This type of roughened surface increases metal flow during the striking operation, producing a better-finished product. Collecting since 1972. Learning from then on "Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn." - Benjamin Franklin 7070 type set coin count: 51/76 Uncirculated American Silver Eagles My American Silver Eagle Proof Collection Sacagawea Dollars Innovation Dollars Eisenhower-Dollars Kennedy-Half Dollars Washington-Quarters Roosevelt-Dimes Buffalo-Nickels 1938-2005 Jefferson-Nickels Lincoln-Cents Report this Post to the Staff
Morgans Dad Pillar of the Community United States 5601 Posts	Posted 12/13/2023 10:42 pm Report this Post to the Staff
	Replies: 8 / Views: 3,913

To participate in the forum you must log in or register.

All Forums Category: US Coins and Currency Forums Forum: US Commemoratives and Non-Circulating Coinage (NCLT) Including Grading, Varieties, and Errors

Silver Gold Bull US is the United States leading bullion dealer. We deliver gold coins, gold bars, silver coins, silver bars and precious metals to your door. Order today!

The First Dollar, your premier source for bullion and rare coins. See our bullion list on the site and the coin inventory on ebay.

View Last 100 New Topics

View Last 100 Active Topics

Disclaimer: While a tremendous amount of effort goes into ensuring the accuracy of the information contained in this site, Coin Community assumes no liability for errors. Copyright 2005 - 2026 Coin Community Family- all rights reserved worldwide. Use of any images or content on this website without prior written permission of Coin Community or the original lender is strictly prohibited.
Contact Us | Advertise Here | Privacy Policy / Terms of Use

Coin Community Forum

It took 0.33 seconds to rattle this change.

Difference Between Burnished And Satin ASE?