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Anthracite is mined from the oldest geological formations, and therefore has spent the longest time underground and been subjected to the most pressure and heat, making it the most compressed and hardest coal. Hard coals contain greater potential to produce heat energy than do the softer, geologically "newer" coals.
Anthracite is considered the cleanest burning of all coal types. Anthracite produces more heat and less smoke than other coals, and is widely used in hand-fired furnaces. Some residential home heating stove systems still use anthracite, which burns longer than wood. Anthracite has been nicknamed "hard coal," especially by locomotive engineers who used it for fueling trains.
