2005 Satin Finish/Smooth Finish Business Strike Lincolns

murphy · Senior Member

I've run across some business strike cents that have a smooth finish obverse and a satin finish reverse. Is this common? And I wonder how the grading companies deal with this. I assume they grade them smooth business strikes if not satin on both sides.

Bob P · Site Admin

Hi Murph....
That's pretty interesting. I was aware of the satin finish on the mint sets, but was unaware that there would be some on business strikes. One of the purposes of the satin finish (which will continue on all future mint sets) was to be able to differentiate between the mint set coins and business strikes.
HOWEVER...I believe it very well could be that one of the dies specially prepared to strike mint set coins, could have made business strike coins. THe answer to your question is NO..it is not common. As for how the grading services would slab them...I suppose the slab would say 'Struck on one side w/satin finish die' Really hard to say at this point Murph.

murphy · Senior Member

I have found a LOT of satin finish business strike cents in new bank rolls. I read a post not long ago on the PCGS Forum where a guy was complaining because PCGS graded his business strike cent as having a Satin Finish and he didn't like that much because it didn't come from a Mint Set. It's a fact that many satin finish cents are to be found in bank rolls because I look through new rolls every day and have found almost as many frosted cents as smooth ones! And quite often they are clearly frosted on one side, either obverse or reverse and smooth on the other. Actually it looks like a satin die is worn smooth. But now that I think about it, I'll be looking for a good example of a frosted/smooth cent that clearly has a frosty satin die finish on one side and clearly a smooth die finish on the other side. That one I will send in to PCGS for their opinion, lol.

Bob P · Site Admin

Well Murph....I don't quite know what to say. I have not seen any, and haven't heard of any until now. You are saying that it is quite common, but I hadn't heard of it before.
I was stating in my reply what the mint's intentions of the satin coins were. You can read about it from this press release from the US mint.
http://www.usmint.gov/pressroom/index.cfm?flash=yes&action=press_release&ID=587

I have done a bit of research on the internet since yesterday to see if anyone else has reported it, but so far have come up with nothing.

Obviously, something has happened whereas they are using the satin finish dies on business strikes. I would be very interested in hearing what PCGS determines when you send them a coin like that. Please let me know...OK??

murphy · Senior Member

Here's a past post from Collectors Universe stating that the guy sent Business Strikes in for grading and they came back Satin Finish:
http://forums.collectors.com/messageview.cfm?catid=26&threadid=430387&highlight_key=y&keyword1=satin%20finish

Bob P · Site Admin

I did read that post Murph. As I stated earlier, I don't know what to make of it. Just let me know what yours says when you get it back from PCGS.