The chemical composition, morphology, selective absorber characteristics, and degradation of selective absorber characteristics at high temperatures of black chrome solar selective coating are influenced by various substrate pre-treatments like mechanical polishing, chemical etching, and electropolishing prior to film deposition. The major oxide content in the deposit is formed as Cu 2 (OH) 2 CrO 4 (JCPDS 38-0230), which on high temperature annealing decomposes to CuCrO 4 (JCPDS 34-0507), CuO (JCPDS 41-0254), and Cu 2 O (JCPDS 5-0667). Formation of the oxides of Cu at high temperatures retains the high optical absorption characteristics of the coating even after high temperature degradation.