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Difference Between "First Releases" And "Early Releases"

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jimbucks's Avatar
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 Posted 07/24/2018  10:32 pm Show Profile   Bookmark this topic Add jimbucks to your friends list Get a Link to this Message Number of Subscribers
I found it strange that NGC is offering both a "first releases" and "early releases" slab option. It seems to me that there must be a difference between the two, and to answer the question, I found this informative article.

http://news.coinupdate.com/which-NG...leases-3368/

So, there is absolutely NO difference. Also interesting is that the article states that the use of "first strike" was found to be illegal and is no longer used (I wonder if those who paid for it can get their money back). It always seemed to me that coins that sold out at the mint immediately are ALL by definition first/early releases whether or not it's stated on the label and I can't justify paying a penny more for a coin slabbed with this definition. Anyway, that's my opinion since I collect coins and not labels. Hope the article was helpful.
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 Posted 07/24/2018  10:45 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add basebal21 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
PCGS uses first strike and clearly defines it on the label so yes it probably would be illegal for NGC to use that.


Quote:
It always seemed to me that coins that sold out at the mint immediately are ALL by definition first/early releases whether or not it's stated on the label and I can't justify paying a penny more for a coin slabbed with this definition.


Not exactly. Some of those such as the baseball coins had hugely delayed shipping and the clock for the designations starts once they first orders start shipping. The mint only makes a percentage of most issues now for opening sales then makes more runs as the order comes in for a lot of issues and some issues they make none. They're been several issues where it took months for an order to show up. So event if something sold out in hours not all of the orders and sometimes a large part (like the baseball coins) wasn't eligible.
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mtuma3's Avatar
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 Posted 07/24/2018  11:11 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add mtuma3 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
So if I read the article correctly, the blue labels indicate the coins went out the door (shipped) from the mint in the first 30 days, not that they were struck in any order. They may be coins struck on say, the 25th day of production...
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basebal21's Avatar
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 Posted 07/24/2018  11:31 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add basebal21 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply

Quote:
. So if I read the article correctly, the blue labels indicate the coins went out the door (shipped) from the mint in the first 30 days, not that they were struck in any order. They may be coins struck on say, the 25th day of production...


Yea shipped or delivered which in the first 30 days. Most people like them simply because the labels are generally more attractive with the special labels. Occasionally there is an issue with back logged production where you can reasonably assume they were some of the first ones made for the series but not always.
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 Posted 07/25/2018  01:18 am  Show Profile   Check spru's eBay Listings Bookmark this reply Add spru to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply

Quote:
Also interesting is that the article states that the use of "first strike" was found to be illegal and is no longer used


This is what is most interesting to me. The link in the article about the 2007 lawsuit took me to a page about raw coins.

So, NGC stopped using the "First Strike" designation, but maybe not only because of the lawsuit. According to the article below, both NGC and PCGS were being sued over the term, not just NGC. Also, PCGS had previously applied to register the trademark "First Strike", and earlier in 2007, NGC filed to have the trademark withdrawn.

http://www.coin-fraud-news.com/inde...8&Itemid=118

I went to ebay and searched "PCGS first strike" with various years surrounding this lawsuit. There appear to be three types of "First Strike" labels used. In 2006, I saw both "FIRST STRIKE(TM)" and "FIRST STRIKE(R)", suggesting that the trademark had indeed been registered with the USPTO. For 2007, I saw the latter of the two from 2006 (registered), and also the current version in which the space has been removed: "FIRSTSTRIKE(R)".

So, despite the misleading nature of the label, it still lives on, apparently, because it is a registered trademark. Also note that because of PCGS terms regarding this, coins minted before this idea even sprouted can get the label as long as you "Submit the coins in the original unopened shipping box from the U.S. Mint with a postmark date prior to the specified PCGS cutoff date." I found earlier years of PCGS First Strikes with the last of the label types I mentioned. So, whether it has the space and (TM) or (R) should allow one to loosely determine when the coin was encapsulated (I don't know about slab style changes during this period).

I really couldn't care less about First/Early Releases designations, but I agree that NGC needs to make up its mind and I think "First Releases" is the most appropriate.
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basebal21's Avatar
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 Posted 07/25/2018  01:57 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add basebal21 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply

Quote:
(I don't know about slab style changes during this period).


https://www.PCGS.com/holders


Quote:
but I agree that NGC needs to make up its mind and I think "First Releases" is the most appropriate.


They just do both for extra revenue since some people seem to like one more than the other. I don't see them changing that.
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Kopper Ken's Avatar
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 Posted 07/25/2018  08:19 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Kopper Ken to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Does this additional labeling really make it standout as a collectible coin?

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BStrauss3's Avatar
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 Posted 07/25/2018  08:26 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add BStrauss3 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Not to any serious collector...

For some coins they pre stroke them all stuck them on pallets and then ship them out likely in reverse order striking. Is a coin any better because it's the two hundred thousandth coin of 200,000 struck using a die that happens to occur in the first 30 days... vs. the 1st coin off a fresh die on day 31?

It's all marketing baloney...



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Andrew99's Avatar
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1533 Posts
 Posted 07/25/2018  08:52 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Andrew99 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
It makes it stand out as a collectible slab.
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basebal21's Avatar
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 Posted 07/25/2018  11:49 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add basebal21 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply

Quote:
Not to any serious collector...


Plenty of serious modern collectors like it for one reason or another. It doesn't make someone not a serious collector because they like it or or like the presentation value of the nicer labels
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