  We investigate the classical nature of the spin coherent states. In addition
to being minimum uncertainty states, as the size of the spin, S, increases, the
classical nature is seen to increase in two respects: in their resistance to
entanglement generation (when passed through a beam splitter) and in the
distinguishability of the states. In the infinite S limit the spin coherent
state is a subclass of the optical coherent states (namely the subclass of
orthogonal optical coherent states). These states generate no entanglement and
are obviously completely distinguishable. The decline of the generated
entanglement, and in this sense increase in classicality with S, is very slow
and dependent on the amplitude z of the state. Surprisingly we find that for
|z| > 1 there is an initial increase in entanglement followed by an extremely
gradual decline to zero. The distinguishability, on the other hand, quickly
becomes classical for all z. We illustrate the distinguishability of spin
coherent states in a novel manner using the representation of Majorana.
