"Uncirculated" vs BU bullion coin (Silver Eagle) - noob question

apollo17

Co-worker's kid got a Silver Eagle for the holidays. We were discussing it, and a question came up:

To modern coin collectors, are there recognized differences between an "American Eagle One Ounce Silver Uncirculated Coin" from the US Mint, and a Bullion Silver Eagle from a dealer?

The US Mint FAQ mentions "a special process that produces a brilliant finish" for Uncirculated, but for some reason I'm under the impression that both types would be lumped together and graded as MS-xx by a service.

IIRC one online dealer in a product Q&A even described how they move a BU coin directly from a monster box into an individual OGP box for a presentable gift (sans CoA).

Thanks.

Insider2

Uncirculated and BU are interchangeable unless you get really picky. BU stands for Brilliant Uncirculated. A coin that never circulated (Uncirculated) may not be brilliant anymore. Most SE are Uncirculated and only their Mint State (Uncirculated) grade changes from 60 -70.

apollo17

Thanks for the info. I did some further reading, and find the apparent trend to further separate and categorize things a bit confusing - so I'll not add -W marks or burnished or MS vs SP designations into the discussion.

Insider2

It is not complicated but Uncirculated can indicate that a piece never circulated or that a piece is in Mint State (as made) condition. Burnished, Specimen, and BU are all terms that define