SP versus MS on 2020W $25 Palladium
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It seems that PCGS has designated the 2020W Palladium $25 Burnished Eagle as an "SP" for grading purposes and NGC has designated it as an "MS" for grading purposes. Can anyone shed light on why the difference? Or does this just add more confusion to the puzzle? ;-) Thanks!
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At PCGS the SP is to help signify the 2020W burnished special finish coins direct from West Point Mint. There are also MS labeled palladium at PCGS like the 2017 and in a few weeks a 2021 which signify the bullion versions which are sold to bullion dealers and do not have the W mint mark.
I have no idea what NGC does.
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NGC pretty much follows the regular grades but doesn't use SP that I know of. Just seemed a bit interesting that two services have totally different grade designations for the same coin/finish.
SP - Specimen
A coin receiving special minting treatment
(some labels for 2020 incorrectly use MS vs SP)
PCGS once used just the MS for coins where now they use SP.
It’s a matter of viewpoint. Does a special minting treatment make a coin other than MS?
My guess is yes, but I've been wrong a few times in my life......well, actually a LOT of times. LOL
submit an earlier burnished MS American Eagle coin for regrade and you will get back an SP coin.
No difference in the dies or the strike between a burnished coin and a non-burnished coin. Only difference is the planchet going through a burnishing process before in placed in the press.
I can't eyeball the difference between the MS and SP and wouldn't be able to tell them apart without the W mint mark.
This could be the reason NGC labels them MS.
Repetition of ignorance is ignorance raised to the power two.
.SP = Specimen but that is for old coins, see below definition from PCGS
Specimen (SP)
Special coins struck at the Mint from 1792-1816 that display many characteristics of the later Proof coinage. Prior to 1817, the minting equipment and technology was limited, so these coins do not have the "watery" surfaces of later Proofs nor the evenness of strike of the close collar Proofs
All of my burnished silver, gold and palladium eagles from 2006 to date are now called SP. Coin facts lists them all as (Special Strikes). There were some burnished slabbed MS in the past as pointed out above, but it seems they consider burnished eagles to be Special Strikes at this point.
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The SP for special finish makes sense to me.... It is indicative of a process difference. Cheers, RickO
But why doesn't NGC grade them as an SP instead of an MS? You'd think the grading services would be somewhat standardized with something like that, right?
@knovak1976.... I do not know why NGC is different. However, they are an independent company and can set up their system in any way that they choose. Nothing says competitors must standardize their systems. Cheers, RickO
I'm not convinced there is a difference in "finish" on the end product. Both are struck on the same metal with similar dies. Only difference is the burnishing process to the coin blanks before the striking process. Regardless of the finish on the coin blank, that finish is destroyed during heat generating striking process. Don't dies determine the final finish?
As far as I am concerned, what makes them special is the West Point mint mark on a non-proof coin.
Disclaimer: I am a big fan of W unc. American Eagles, have been buying them in large quantity since their introduction in 2006. 2008 was the year to behold for mint buyers of burnished gold eagles.
Repetition of ignorance is ignorance raised to the power two.
@derryb... I agree with you about the West Point mint mark... been a big fan since the W dime, and have most of them. I think where the difference comes in, is the definition of 'finish'. If the blanks are burnished before striking,
as opposed to unburnished, won't the finished product differ after striking? Thus giving it a different appearance - termed by most collectors as 'finish'. Cheers, RickO
die makes it's impression on the entire surface of the coin blank. Finish of the blank before the strike is replaced by the finish created by the die.
If the dies were burnished instead of the blank then the finish between the W and the non W might be different, just as the finish is different between a bullion eagle and polished dies used for the proof version.
Repetition of ignorance is ignorance raised to the power two.
I have a PCGS MS70 2020 $25 Palladium. I notice on the cert number the website lists as SP. I just reached out to PCGS for clarification on this if it was a error on label or they just don't show the population of MS for some reason. Anyone have clarification on why this is? Should I be worried about authenticity? The coin has West Point Mint mark also.
Welcome to the forum. I would not worry about authenticity if it is slabbed by PCGS. As mentioned above, some of these W minted special finish uncirculated strikes get labeled MS, even at PCGS. It is not really an error, as NGC labels them that way, too as they are also uncirculated. It is just an inconsistency in labeling..
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@Stacked
Welcome.
If your holder contains a NFC chip, you could always confirm authenticity with your mobile phone.
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