What’s in a finish?

Jan 04, 2024
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2 MINUTES READ

Every coin has a “finish”—a final bit of texturing and polish to give it shine and visual interest. Not so long ago, coins had just two kinds of finishes: brilliant or frosted (or some combination of those). Today, coins can have a multitude of textures and patterns—applied to the smallest areas of a design with pinpoint accuracy. Take a closer look at how different finishes can radically alter the visual impact of a single coin design.

Brilliant uncirculated

This basic finish is used on most of Canada’s standard circulation coins. With a brilliant uncirculated finish, both the engraved design (relief) and the background (field) are shiny.

Proof

This finish was designed to show off the most stunning engraving. It’s usually reserved for prestige coins. Proof-finished coins have a flawless, mirror-like polish on the background to set off the relief. Engraved designs can be treated with a variety of frosted finishes, each specially selected to accentuate each feature.

Matte proof

This finish is unique to the Royal Canadian Mint. It’s similar to a standard proof, only with a satin finish on the background instead of a high-shine polish. It gives coins a slightly more aged appearance while still allowing for various textures on the relief portion.

Reverse proof

This finish is much like the regular proof finish except (as the name suggests) reversed: the background is matte while the engraved relief shines with a glass-like polish. It’s like “portrait mode” for a coin because the background recedes to keep the focus on the subject.

Specimen

This finish was originally designed to shine a spotlight on our extraordinary technical capabilities. It features precisely machined matte lines for the background and a highly detailed finish on the relief. Originally, the relief elements had an exclusively brilliant finish, but today our specimen coins feature a wide range of frosting and textures.