Jan 07, 2018· Lignite is referred to as brown coal. It is considered as the lowest rank of coal. The properties of Subbituminous coal range from lignite to bituminous coal. Bituminous coal is also called black coal and is a good rank of coal. Anthracite is a hard, compact variety of coal that has a submetallic luster. It has the highest carbon content and lowest impurities.