THE SATIN FINISH MINT SETS (2005 TO DATE)

Steve

It's a rainy day here in Connecticut and I've been thinking about these new "satin finish" coins produced by the US Mint since 2005 and now put in each years US Mint Sets containing both the "P" Philadelphia and "D" Denver mintmark. Prior to 2005, for modern US coinage we collected the denominations for each year usually by PDS. Since 1975 the "S" was always the proof version for the date and the P&D were the business strike or circulation strike version for the date. So, generally speaking, for each modern series we collected we would need 3 coins each year. Most commercial albums provided "holes" for those coins.

Now, starting in 2005, the US Mint introduced the "satin finish" version for the P&D in the US Mint sets and still issued the "regular" circulation strike coins for commerce. The hobby is trying to deal with this situation and PCGS has recently added a new "SP" designation to separate these "satin finish" coins from the "MS" used for mint state circulation coins and "PR" used for proof coins. So I am wondering how you feel the hobby should go as to organizing collecting of these coins. Right now PCGS has the satin finish AND the business strike coins combined under the circulation strikes. Maybe the satin finish coins should all be grouped into separate set registries which include just those coins. Or maybe, they should be combined with the the proof "S" mintmark coins to form the PDS versions we are familiar with from 1975.

In the end, it will be the collectors who decide how they want to organize their collections. Then the album makers will produce albums that meet those needs. The hobby used to form collections by getting coins from circulation. Maybe in the 21st century where everyone seems to be collecting mostly mint state coins from dealers we should just stop collecting coins from circulation and just buy all the modern stuff from the US mint or dealers. What do you think? Steve

Batman23

I stopped buying mint sets from the mint because of the Satin Finish. My Lincoln Dansco holds PDS but I will stay with the business strikes. We will see what happens when I can not find the 2010 lincolns in business strikes though

droopyd

Until such time as the album makers add two more holes for each year to cover both business strike and satin finish issues -- and after 5 years I don't see any movement towards this -- I don't feel that moat collectors will find a need to have both to have a "complete" set.

Steve

<< <i>Until such time as the album makers add two more holes for each year to cover both business strike and satin finish issues -- and after 5 years I don't see any movement towards this -- I don't feel that moat collectors will find a need to have both to have a "complete" set. >>



BUT....If you put your collection in the PCGS Set Registry for anything but the Basic sets you MUST have both to have a "complete" set.
Steve