Uncirculated vs PL Vs SP

[Iridium]

Hello all,

I am just reaching out to see if anyone can tell me why SP coins are worth less than PL and uncirculated in most cases?

My granny since I was born in 1984 bought my sister and I mint Canadian coin sets every year until 1999. First question, from 1984 till 1991 the packaging does not suggest what they are, so I am not sure how to tell if they are uncirculated, PL or SP sets. I am thinking they are specimen sets as from 1992 till 1996 it shows on the packaging that they are specimen sets and also have the frosted/mirror appearance. I know from reading that they didn't add the frosted/mirror appearance until 1992 but it is hard to tell what the older ones are. For instance I have a 1985 penny blunt never touched, it is seeming worth a lot more if is is not a spacemen coin.

1997/98/99 are all labelled as uncirculated, also never been open or touched.

Would it be worth sending any of these in to get evaluated or is an SP pretty much an SP?

As a young person I was never super exited to get my coin set as I couldn't do anything with it but now in my aging years I find myself enjoying collecting coins.

[Bill in Burl]

They are worth less because they never circulated but, rather, were put in a drawer or desk and forgotten about or just looked at occasionally. There are many more of them than any actual "circulated" coins that may have been put away, protected, and see if/when any price appreciation. NO ONE was going to send common "pocket change" to a TPG or take any extra care to protect it from evil. A penny, nickel, dime, quarter, dollar, toonie, etc was worth just that and no more. Because of that, there are very few 65, 66 UNC's laying around and their value is due to the extreme scarcity of them. You can find dozens of SP's or PL's at any larger coin show. It's availability that dictates value.

[Iridium]

Thank you for the insight. So for the 97,98,99 sets that I have that are marked uncircualted would those classify as such or would they be considered PL's?

[Bill in Burl]

I am really not up on coin designations for "modern" coins. For me, "modern" is anything post-WW1 (1920). You will have to hope that someone more familiar with recent Mint products answers, because there really in no such thing as a proof-like designation from the Mint itself for that timeframe. Do an archive search on this site for questions about proofs, specimens, profflikes and circulation coins ... it mind-tangling at best.