How to tell if you have "burnished" silver eagles? 0

[Gearhead]

I was wondering and trying to confirm some information about burnished silver eagles.  Ive heard that all west point mint marks on uncirculated silver eagles after 2006 are "burnished" coins.  I'm trying to determine the value of my collection and when I was going thru the red book I see burnished coins.  Not really a newbie to coin collecting, but a newbie who started on silver eagles to step up my game.  Can somebody please clarify this for me.  Another member made me laugh stating if I mention David Lange's name he will pop up like  the Bat light went on.

[Lem E]

The burnished versions have a finish similar to the standard bullion, but will carry a mintmark. Usually a lower mintage than the rest of the series per year. The mint calls these “uncirculated”. When buying slabbed coins, the burnished versions will not have parentheses around the mintmark on the label. 

Edited March 21, 2022 by Lem E

[Morpheus1967]

Correct.  All burnished eagles will have a "W" mint mark.  If you come across a slabbed eagle labeled as coming from West Point on the label, but no mint mark, it is not burnished.  Those were deemed to be from West Point mint via the serial number on the strap that sealed the monster box.  

[Conder101]

If it's not a proof, and it has a W mintmark, it's "burnished".

[Gearhead]

Thank you to everybody for checking in on us "newbies" and answering my questions.  Happy collecting to you all!

[Alex in PA.]

On 3/15/2022 at 12:08 AM, Gearhead said:

if I mention David Lange's name

Who?

[Gearhead]

Who's on First.

[Rummy13]

On 3/17/2022 at 4:29 PM, Gearhead said:

Who's on First.

What

[Just Bob]

On 3/17/2022 at 4:31 PM, Rummy13 said:

What

I Don't Know

[VKurtB]

On 3/17/2022 at 4:59 AM, Conder101 said:

If it's not a proof, and it has a W mintmark, it's "burnished".

And it seems with each passing year, the burnishing gets stronger. Unfortunately, the bullion strikes also now look burnished. The W mint mark is the tell tale sign. I keep mine in original mint packaging, so mine are easy to find. I won’t have coins like these graded. 

[Gearhead]

On 3/21/2022 at 9:14 PM, VKurtB said:

And it seems with each passing year, the burnishing gets stronger. Unfortunately, the bullion strikes also now look burnished. The W mint mark is the tell tale sign. I keep mine in original mint packaging, so mine are easy to find. I won’t have coins like these graded. 

I dont know some of these uncirculated burnished coins have a lower mintage and could be quite valuable.  Im in no big hurry right now.  Watching the numbers.  I only get one in my US mint enrollment program anyway, but thinking about upping it to two on the uncirculateds

[Gearhead]

On 3/17/2022 at 4:31 PM, Rummy13 said:

What

Whats on second

[Rummy13]

On 3/20/2022 at 9:34 PM, Just Bob said:

I Don't Know

Is in right field

 

[James Zyskowski]

The 2018 mintage 138,000 ,several years 150,000.  They are way mis-understood and my pick to be the sleeping giant.  Just my 2 cents 😉

Edited March 23, 2022 by James Zyskowski

[Rummy13]

On 3/22/2022 at 10:54 AM, James Zyskowski said:

The 2019 mintage 138,000 ,several years 150,000.  They are way mis-understood and my pick to be the sleeping giant.  Just my 2 cents 😉

I hope you are right @James Zyskowski. I have been collecting them. In the last 4 years the mintage has defiantly dropped. The 08 with the 07 rev. is still the rarest of them and the only one demanding any real premium. But maybe someday they all will.

[VKurtB]

On 3/22/2022 at 11:46 AM, Rummy13 said:

I hope you are right @James Zyskowski. I have been collecting them. In the last 4 years the mintage has defiantly dropped. The 08 with the 07 rev. is still the rarest of them and the only one demanding any real premium. But maybe someday they all will.

They should have a future, but the explosion of special issues like reverse proofs may hold these down. I collect them because I like them. Weird, huh?

[Gearhead]

On 3/22/2022 at 8:29 PM, VKurtB said:

They should have a future, but the explosion of special issues like reverse proofs may hold these down. I collect them because I like them. Weird, huh?

Well I wouldnt say it will hold down the burnished coins, but obviously the reverse proofs are rarer.  Also note what about the emergency issues from the philadelphia mint with no mint marks.  Those had to be submitted in the monster boxes to the grading companies.  I am guilty of buying one from 2021 and one from 2020, graded by NGC in mint state 69.  Thats all I could afford.  So hoping those too will be worth something for my daughter in the future.  I try to stay as diverse as I can.  Like I got the limited edition proof sets from the US mint.  The year when both the old and the new issue Eagles were included.  What will be the mint production numbers for them to make them a rarity.  So I look at it from all points of view.  Even the congratulations folders, ETC.  Well thanks again to everybody who helped on this post.  Be well all.

[Conder101]

On 3/21/2022 at 10:14 PM, VKurtB said:

Unfortunately, the bullion strikes also now look burnished.

To me the business strikes and the "burnished" coins have always looked the same.

[VKurtB]

On 3/24/2022 at 3:56 PM, Conder101 said:

To me the business strikes and the "burnished" coins have always looked the same.

I see more variation in the bullion ones. The burnished are more consistent.