Finish of coins

[Euromir]

As a newbie, more dumb questions sorry! lol

Having watched countless hours of silver videos now (oh dear, hooked lol) i notice there is a big difference on the surface finish of coins (normal bullion, not proofs), such as the Perth Mint and Pandas are super shiny mirror like finish, which is lovely. And yet many others like Maples, Britannia's & Eagles  seem almost a dull silver, almost greyish (bear in mind i am going on photos and videos only thus far). I think from what ive seen, i am personally more drawn to the "shiny's" such as Perth and Pandas, i want my silver to shine and be like a mirror, likewise with bars, seems to be a lot of bars that are pretty dull, i will stick to mirror like bars i expect.

Why do they vary so much? Is it different silver or just the way they each melt or press there coins, are one type more sell-able than others due to finish?

[4Nines7Hills]

IMO the finish doesn't matter , the price differential comes from the niceness of design, mintages and demand.

Some people like coind others like bars either pressed or poured and the end of the day you buy what you like.

BTW The britanias are really shiny too   - I have one, I wouldn't buy any more as the design rarely changes .

 

Perth mint do some really good designs, well pressed and the pandas are gorgeous.  They change there designs yearly and are limited which is why the price goes up .

[4Nines7Hills]

Disclaimer: not all Perth mint coins are limited mintages and the price increase on any coin is not a guarantee.

 

 

[Rich99]

1 hour ago, Euromir said:

As a newbie, more dumb questions sorry! lol

Having watched countless hours of silver videos now (oh dear, hooked lol) i notice there is a big difference on the surface finish of coins (normal bullion, not proofs), such as the Perth Mint and Pandas are super shiny mirror like finish, which is lovely. And yet many others like Maples, Britannia's & Eagles  seem almost a dull silver, almost greyish (bear in mind i am going on photos and videos only thus far). I think from what ive seen, i am personally more drawn to the "shiny's" such as Perth and Pandas, i want my silver to shine and be like a mirror, likewise with bars, seems to be a lot of bars that are pretty dull, i will stick to mirror like bars i expect.

Why do they vary so much? Is it different silver or just the way they each melt or press there coins, are one type more sell-able than others due to finish?

Britannias will not dissapoint if you like a bit o shine. PAMP bars have a fantastic finish too. Both are my faves. 

[Pete]

Some of the newer coins have a structured finish which I assume is there for mainly two reasons.

Firstly it makes counterfeiting much more difficult and secondly it means the coins can be produced and handled without causing noticeable surface damage.

The problem with mirrored finishes is they are prone to minor scuffs & scratches which readily show up and spoil the coin.
Even if you use a soft haired camera lens brush to gently wipe dust from a mirrored finish 99.9% silver coin it could leave hairline scratches that are noticeable under strong light viewed at a glancing angle. Coatings on lenses and spectacles can be hard coatings so withstand cleaning but pure silver is very soft and prone to scratches.

Our own Royal Mint had serious quality problems when it launched its first 999 silver Britannia.  An extremely high percentage of Brits showed lots of marks that were a result of their own processing ( denied of course at the time ) and surprisingly the mirrored finish has been lost in more recent years.

 

[Euromir]

Thanks chaps, never thought of mirrored being more liable to damage Pete, good tip.