2005-2010 sms verses business strike

[asdfgh]

Is there any other difference between the business strikes and the mint set versions (sms) other than

surface texture? I have been trying to fill out my coins sets with business strikes and I think some

of the people who sent me coins from "original banks" rolls actually sent sms coins. To me its pretty

hard to tell when the business strike is a high grade. The sms coins normally have very few if any bag marks.

 

also it appears to me that the 2 roll boxed nickel P&D sets are sms and the 25$ bags of nickels are business strikes.

[RWB]

SMS (Special Mint Sets) were only made from 1965-1967.

 

Presumably you are referring to the normal mint sets made from 2005-2010. The surface is the only difference and that was accomplished by pickling the die face. (not sure if they were Kosher dills or ordinary gerkins...)

[asdfgh]

Yes I am refering to the mint sets 2005-2010. PCGS labels as Satin, NGC labels as SMS.

[newprepper]

I know it's not the lincolns, but the kennedy SMS (not the 65-67) are processed with a sandblast type process.

[cladking]

Technically the only thing that changed in '05 in the chrome plating of the dies that changed the surface texture. However this was done in part because of complaints about quality and it appears they also took pains to get more mint set coins out without them being marked. These tend to be so clean it leads me to suspect that the texture might also help protect them from minor scratches.

 

The problem is that all mint set coins aren't as positively identified as being mint set and a few coins in circulation look like SF.

 

If you're getting entire rolls of SF coins then they are probably mint set. It's interesting that low mintage high quality coins from this series are readily available where the regular issue might not be. Why else would they ship mint set coins?

 

I've suggested for years that people should seek out obviously non mint set Gems for these dates since they might be scarce.

[RWB]

The dies were lightly pickled in acid, then coated with chromium via an evaporation process. This produced a very thin, tough surface far superior to chemical plating and not prone to microcracking.

 

(I discussed this at length with the Plant Manager and die master at the Philadelphia Mint in 1910. They were disappointing at limited collector interest and the high cost of treating the dies. I recommended - certainly not the only one to do so - that they scrap the special dies, but also pull Unc coins directly from the Schuler presses - before they fell into the first floor hoppers and could get scratched. I also suggested reducing the fall distance from press to receiving bin, and using thin wood boxes with subdividers instead of metal to help reduce surface damage.)

[brg5658]

SMS (Special Mint Sets) were only made from 1965-1967.

 

Presumably you are referring to the normal mint sets made from 2005-2010. The surface is the only difference and that was accomplished by pickling the die face. (not sure if they were Kosher dills or ordinary gerkins...)

 

Not completely true.

 

The mint set (satin finish) Lincoln cents from 2009 are 95% copper, 3% zinc, and 2% tin (the same composition as the 1909 Lincoln cent). The "satin finish" mint set cents from 2009 weigh in at 3.11 grams. Approximately 771,000 mint sets were issued in 2009.

 

The regular "circulation strike" cents from 2009 are the normal post-1982 composition of 97.5% zinc and 2.5% copper plated, and weigh in at only 2.5 grams. The circulation issue cents have mintages of at least 129 and up to 376 million (depending on which design and which mint mark).

 

[asdfgh]

I agree on the business strikes in high quality being scarce. On some date/mint marks I went thru and

entire roll and found only one coin worth keeping or sending in to be graded. Even then I would guess it a ms66. Most of the satin finish ones start out at 67 or better.

[jpcienkus]

The dies were lightly pickled in acid, then coated with chromium via an evaporation process. This produced a very thin, tough surface far superior to chemical plating and not prone to microcracking.

 

(I discussed this at length with the Plant Manager and die master at the Philadelphia Mint in 1910. They were disappointing at limited collector interest and the high cost of treating the dies. I recommended - certainly not the only one to do so - that they scrap the special dies, but also pull Unc coins directly from the Schuler presses - before they fell into the first floor hoppers and could get scratched. I also suggested reducing the fall distance from press to receiving bin, and using thin wood boxes with subdividers instead of metal to help reduce surface damage.)

 

Man are you old! I think you meant 2010.

 

Anyway, wasn't the process a vapor deprivation or deposition?

[asdfgh]

That's real interesting about how the dies were treated. I am amazed by the number of people who do not know that during these years there are 2 different coins for the P/D. I did not realize it for quite some time. I think the first time I saw this was when looking at registry sets that contain 2 slots.

[RWB]

Yep...got my centuries mixed up...been researching in the 20th century too long.

[19Lyds]

Is there any other difference between the business strikes and the mint set versions (sms) other than

surface texture? I have been trying to fill out my coins sets with business strikes and I think some

of the people who sent me coins from "original banks" rolls actually sent sms coins. To me its pretty

hard to tell when the business strike is a high grade. The sms coins normally have very few if any bag marks.

 

also it appears to me that the 2 roll boxed nickel P&D sets are sms and the 25$ bags of nickels are business strikes.

Is there a difference? Absolutely!

 

The exact same differences that there are between MS69 and MS70!

[Six Mile Rick]

There are 2 types of business strikes in the search that you will come across. My favorite to search are the high luster /PL which have the high gloss mirror fields. The second group has the frosty fields -- I call them Cream Puffs. The frosty fields could be what you have and look close to SMS but will bounce the lighting back more than the Satin Mint Set coins do. Try looking at the light reflection texture between 2 that you know are what they are. The SMS will have a whiter overall look compared to the Cream Puff.

 

You can set 12 frosty business strikes on a table with 1 SMS in it. The white looking SMS coin will stand out.

 

Rick