A satin finish coin is a U.S. coin with a soft, frosted surface, made for the yearly Uncirculated Mint Sets from 2005 through 2010. The Mint made them with burnished blanks and sand-blasted dies, which gave a matte-like look instead of the usual shine. In 2011 the Mint went back to a brilliant finish.
They were never released into circulation. The only way to get one was to buy the Mint Set.
Quick facts
- Years made: 2005 through 2010
- Where they came from: Uncirculated Mint Sets only
- How they were made: Burnished blanks struck with sand-blasted dies
- Coins: Cent through dollar, including Presidential dollars from 2007 to 2010
- Mints: Philadelphia (P) and Denver (D)
- PCGS grade prefix: SP (Specimen), not MS
Shop satin finish singles
Lincoln cents, state and territory quarters, Kennedy halves, Sacagawea and Presidential dollars, all in satin finish.
How to tell if a coin has a satin finish
Put one next to a normal uncirculated coin from the same year. A normal coin has cartwheel luster: tilt it under a light and a band of shine sweeps across it. A satin finish coin doesn’t do that. Its surface stays even and soft.
It isn’t a proof either. Proofs have mirror-like fields and frosted designs. Satin coins have neither.
Why collectors want them
The set is closed. Six years, six Mint Sets. The Mint has not used the finish since 2010. That makes it one of the few modern U.S. collections you can truly finish.
The Presidential dollars from 2007 to 2010 are the ones collectors miss most. Many people think satin finish stops at the half dollar.
Most dealers sell only the complete Mint Sets. We sell satin finish singles, so you can fill just the coins you need. On each coin page, pick “P Mint Satin Finish” or “D Mint Satin Finish.”
Satin finish coins in stock
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2005 Memorial Lincoln Cents
Price range: $1.00 through $6.95 Select options -
2009 Bicentennial Birthplace Cabin Lincoln Cents
Price range: $1.00 through $7.95 Select options -
2005 California State Quarters
Price range: $4.95 through $14.95 Select options -
2009 Puerto Rico Territory Quarters
Price range: $4.95 through $13.95 Select options -
2006 Kennedy Half Dollars
Price range: $2.00 through $27.95 Select options -
2005 Sacagawea Dollars
Price range: $5.95 through $14.95 Select options -
2010 Abraham Lincoln Presidential Dollars
Price range: $6.95 through $11.95 Select options -
2008 Kennedy Half Dollars
Price range: $2.00 through $31.95 Select options
Frequently asked questions
What years did the U.S. Mint make satin finish coins?
From 2005 through 2010, in the yearly Uncirculated Mint Sets. The Mint went back to a brilliant finish in 2011.
Is a satin finish coin the same as a proof coin?
No. Proof coins have mirror-like fields and frosted designs, and are struck more than once on polished dies. Satin finish coins have a soft, even surface with no mirror.
Are satin finish coins worth more than regular uncirculated coins?
They often sell for more because they were only made for six years and only came in Mint Sets. What a coin is worth depends on its date, mint mark and condition.
How does PCGS grade satin finish coins?
PCGS uses the SP prefix, for Specimen, instead of the MS prefix used for regular uncirculated coins.
Which coins came with a satin finish?
The cent, nickel, dime, quarter and half dollar in all six years, plus the dollar coins in those sets, including Presidential dollars from 2007 through 2010.