Also called hard coal. A variety of mineral coal found in Wales, France, and Germany, but in greatest abundance in an area of about 500 mi² (1,295 km²) in northeastern Pennsylvania. It is distinguished by its semimetallic luster, high carbon content, and high specific gravity, which is about 1.70.

The carbon content may be as high as 95%, but the usual fixed carbon content is from 78 to 84%. It should give 13,200 Btu/ lb (72,600 kcal/kg). In theory the best grades of anthracite should have 90% carbon, 3 to 4.5 hydrogen, 2 to 5.5 oxygen and nitrogen, and only 1.7 ash. Anthracite, when pure and dry, burns without smoke or smell, and is thus preferred to bituminous coal for household furnaces. But the coal will absorb a high proportion of water, and commercial coal may be wetted down to add to the weight, thus lessening its efficiency. Hard coal is graded as anthracite and semianthracite, depending upon the ratio of fixed carbon to volatile matter. When the ratio is 10:1, it is anthracite.

 The commercial gradings of anthracite are chiefly by size, varying from three sizes of very fine grains called silt, rice, and buckwheat, to the large size of furnace, or lump, coal. Standard ASTM sizes for anthracite are: broken, 4³/₈ to 3¹/₄ in (11.1 to 8.3 cm); egg, 3¹/₄ to 2⁷/₁₆ in (8.3 to 6.2 cm); stove, 2⁷/₁₆ to 1⁵/₈ in (6.2 to 4.1 cm); chestnut, 1⁵/₈ to ¹³/₁₆ in (4.1 to 2.1 cm); pea, ¹³/₁₆ to ⁹/₁₆ in (2.1 to 1.4 cm); No. 1 buckwheat, ⁹/₁₆ to ⁵/₁₆ in (1.4 to 0.8 cm); No. 2 buckwheat (rice), ⁵/₁₆ to ³/₁₆ in (0.8 to 0.5 cm); No. 3 buckwheat (barley), ³/₁₆ to ³/₃₂ in (0.5 to 0.2 cm). As the coal comes from the breaker, the proportions are about 8% silt, 9 rice, 15 buckwheat, 10 pea, 24 chestnut, 23 stove, and 8 egg.