Burnished Coins?
 

Please excuse my ignorance, but can someone explain what a burnished coin is? I was looking at 1oz GAE on AMPEX and they had some listed as "Special Burnished Coins".
:confused_ma:

Re: Burnished Coins?
 

I thought burnished meant that frosty look as opposed to the mirror finish.
eg:
2008 SAE are burnished and prior SAE are not.

I could be so wrong.

Re: Burnished Coins?
 

It is a frosty look (like it just came of the freezer)

The older years they would look very, very , very shiny (like those better IMO)


T

Re: Burnished Coins?
 

They have the "W" mint mark on them. They look very similar to regular uncirculated otherwise. Go the US mint site to read up on them

Re: Burnished Coins?
 

Coin World has a lengthy article on burnishing coins.


http://www.coinworld.com/news/040201/news-1.asp

United States Mint officials may refer to one of the final steps in the production of the specially produced Sacagawea dollars given to sculptor Glenna Goodacre as "washing/cleaning," but those in the metal finishing industry affirm the process constitutes post-strike burnishing.

Re: Burnished Coins?
 

... the satiny finish of a Sacagewa

Re: Burnished Coins?
 

I loove articles with all sorts of tib bits and the particulars.


Thanks.

T

Re: Burnished Coins?
 

Coin world is cheap and they send you a PRICE guide every few months for 50,000 USA coins.

Plus you get on-line WEB price guide to compare to PCGS - included with subscriptions.

Re: Burnished Coins?
 

I think "burnished" and "frosted" are different. Here's my understanding:

There were initially two "finishes" on Eagles. The Mint sold mirror proof versions directly to the public. The uncirculated Eagles sold through distributors were also a mirror finish, but not as polished as the proofs.

Some time around 2004, the uncirculated versions changed from mirror to frosted. Then, in 2006, the Mint started to sell a "burnished" version directly to the public, minted only at the West Point mint, with the "W" designation.

So here's how I understand it:

Proof (polished mirror finished), 1986-2008
Uncirculated (mirror finish), 1986-2003
Uncirculated (frosted finish), 2004-2008
Uncirculated (burnished), 2006-2008

Can anyone shed more light on this? I'm not sure how burnished and frosted compare visually.

Re: Burnished Coins?
 

I believe you are just about right but the first frosted coins were in 2006........I got them and thought something was wrong with them and took them back! My dealer thought there was something wrong with them too! *lol* My guess - strictly a guess - is that the frosted came as a result of the burnished coins being made........sort of a half-burnished, if you like.

Re: Burnished Coins?
 

Hmmm. Now I'm not so sure. I happen to know someone who has just about every year :wink: and it appears the change may have occurred as early as 2003. The Mint says they began the Uncirculated Burnished in 2006.

Anyone else want to weigh in on this?

They all feel like real money, though.

Re: Burnished Coins?
 

I have a 2007 "burnished" SAE. Aside from the W mint mark on it, it looks like a regular SAE to me.

Re: Burnished Coins?
 

Well, I have every year too - and its one of only 28 a #1 rated silver eagle sets in the US per PCGS **wiggles finger in the air in small circles**

But that doesn't make me right or wrong..........I would have to go out back - dig down about 6 feet and drag out the box to check! :wink: