![Coal in the Collections | Mining McKissick](/e69yszg/552.jpg)
Coal in the Collections | Mining McKissick
Jan 08, 2013· It is the most compact variety, though it has a hardness of only 12, out of 10 on the Mohs Scale of hardness. Anthracite can be considered a transition stage from bituminous coal to graphite. The compact nature of graphite makes it difficult to burn, so it is rarely used as an energy source.