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Most Brilliant Uncirculated coins are struck in base metal, but they are also issued in gold and silver.īullion coins are a form of investment. They offer a good level of design detail, but have a lower definition than Proof coins. As a result, they are produced at a much quicker rate than Proof coins – around 100 per hour. The Brilliant Uncirculated blanks are machine-fed and struck twice. An entry-level collectable, like Proof coins, the dies used to strike Brilliant Uncirculated coins are polished and finished by hand.
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Sometimes referred to as ‘BU’, ‘B.U.’, or ‘B.UNC’, Brilliant Uncirculated coins are of a higher standard than circulating and bullion coins. Piedfort means ‘heavy measure’, and in the sixteenth and seventeenth century, rulers gave these coins as prestige gifts to members of their court. Closely associated with France, its origins can be traced back to the twelfth century.
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Double the weight of an ordinary Proof coin, it is usually struck in silver and very occasionally in gold. A ‘piedfort’ coin’ is a special type of Proof coin. Proof coins are struck in platinum, gold, silver and base metal editions. Each Proof die may only strike a few hundred coins before it has to be repolished. Proof dies are also regularly reworked to maintain the quality of the finish. The dies are cleaned with air between each coin to ensure that no marks or imperfections are caused during striking.Īs a result of this extra care and attention, no more than 50 Proof coins can be struck within an hour. Blanks are fed into the coin press by hand before being struck up to six times, at a lower speed and with less pressure than other finishes, to preserve the finer details of the design.Īfter striking, each coin is inspected for imperfections. The dies used to strike Proof coins are hand-finished to ensure that all imperfections are removed. Their sharpness, detail and finish are unrivalled, making them perfect for collectors looking for highest levels of craftsmanship and detail. Proof coins are the highest quality commemorative coins. If you’ve heard these terms being used but are unsure what they mean, read on to find out more about the difference between these coins. As well as the circulating coins you find in your change, The Royal Mint strikes coins to three different standards for both investors and collectors: Proof, Brilliant Uncirculated and Bullion. Specimen is also the classification we use for standard bullion coins released in limited presentation packaging for collectors.A Coin Collector’s Guide to Striking StandardsĪs an aspiring coin collector, it’s important to acquaint yourself with the different standards to which coins are struck, as this will affect their price and subsequent value. (Visit The Perth Mint Bullion website.) Specimen CoinsĪ Perth Mint specimen coin is a limited collectable release.Īkin to a bullion coin in so far as it has a frosted table, it also features one or more special numismatic treatments – including a coloured design, gilded design or a gemstone insert. Indeed, we would claim they have the best quality bullion finish in the world. The quality of each strike means that our bullion coins are sometimes referred to as “reverse proofs”. Our bullion coins feature a frosted table and a shiny design (the opposite way round to proof issues). The Perth Mint takes a different approach. As a result, the finish on many bullion coins issued worldwide is uniform with no distinctively polished or frosted areas. They are mass produced to keep the price as close to ‘spot’ as possible. Bullion Coinsīullion coins are made for the purpose of investing in precious metals. However, as an alternative, we colour some or all design elements on many of our proof quality releases.īecause of the time and skill involved in creating proof quality coins, this finish is reserved for our most limited, highly-prized numismatic (collectable) issues. Traditionally, design elements are delicately frosted. The coin table (background) is highly-polished and mirror-like. The very highest quality coins produced by The Perth Mint feature a proof finish. We use three classifications to describe our precious metal coins – proof, bullion or specimen. This post is written in response to requests asking us to explain what The Perth Mint means by ‘specimen’.