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 Replies: 8 / Views: 2,033 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
717 Posts |
Very likely I'm confused. I know I'm poorly informed. I don't understand the interest in so-called "early release" coins. My understanding is that grading companies will certify "early release" if the coin was received within 30 days of the initial shipments from the mint. I further assume that the allure is that "early release" means a sharper strike. Don't coin dies have a limited life? I'm guessing they're good for a certain amount of strikes then replaced. Let's use a limited release coin such as a silver proof set. Isn't it possible that the entire amount of coins for this set could have been p;reduced in a couple of weeks time? Isn't it possible that the last set produced is the first set shipped? If the production were spread over say 6 months time beginning in January, isn't it possible that a die breaks in July and a new die used 6 months after the first releasse. Of course these assumptions depend on the fact that the desirability is based on collectors assuming an "early release" tag guarantees a better strike.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2543 Posts |
There is a modern meaning to this and a classic legacy to this The modern early release coins are a TPG sales ploy. An ER (NGC) or First Strike (PCGS) designation is given to a coin that was supposedly produced within the first 30 days of a production year. Verified by the seal on the monster box of the coins being submitted or submitted to the TPG within the first 30 days of the production year for single coins. So theoretically , if I had a sealed monster box of 1996 ASE's with the mint stamp designating that these coins were shipped in Jan. of 1996, I could still get these coins desiganated as ER or FS by the TPG's. As you said, the quality of the dies and the mint's designated lifespan of dies now, eliminates the noticeable quality issues that made First Strike coins so desirable in Classic U.S. coins. Back when dies were used until they broke or were worn, beyond all quality results, First Strike meant something. Nowadays it just means ......... well actually nothing. The mint produces approx. 6 million eagles in Jan., these are packaged arbitrarily. Your " First Strike " coin could have been #1 struck or #6,000,0000 struck. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4901 Posts |
I have no clue what the last three posts were about but I will try get back to the point of this thread:
Early Release at least means what it says:
from a group of coins released during the first month of sales (shipment). It says nothing about strike quality or when it was struck in the production run of a die....just when it was release to the public.
First Strike is a meaningless designation since a large quantity of a production run can be struck before shipping begins and which coins are shipped first is a totally random event. You could get the last coin struck before a die is retired and get a First Strike label put on it.
A perfect example is the "minted to demand" type coins (referred to in an above post). Most likely they are ALL struck before any are shipped so there would be no way to tell which were struck first.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
17884 Posts |
Quote:
An ER (NGC) or First Strike ( PCGS) designation is given to a coin that was supposedly produced within the first 30 days of a production year. Not produced within the first 30 days, ARRIVED within the first thirty days OR if an unopened monster box has a packing date before the 31st day after release. When they first started with the First Strike nonsense back in 2005, packing dates showed that some of the First Strikes had been made as much as five months earlier. In five months of production there were bound to be a LOT of "First Strikes" that were made near the retirement end of the life of the dies. Quote:
A perfect example is the "minted to demand" type coins (referred to in an above post). Most likely they are ALL struck before any are shipped so there would be no way to tell which were struck first.
In which case you have the ridiculous situation where EVERY coin can qualify as a "First Strike". |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2543 Posts |
Quote:
Not produced within the first 30 days, ARRIVED within the first thirty days OR if an unopened monster box has a packing date before the 31st day after release. Isn't that what I said  Quote: An ER (NGC) or First Strike (PCGS) designation is given to a coin that was supposedly produced within the first 30 days of a production year. Verified by the seal on the monster box of the coins being submitted or submitted to the TPG within the first 30 days of the production year for single coins. So theoretically , if I had a sealed monster box of 1996 ASE's with the mint stamp designating that these coins were shipped in Jan. of 1996, I could still get these coins desiganated as ER or FS by the TPG's. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4901 Posts |
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In which case you have the ridiculous situation where EVERY coin can qualify as a "First Strike" Yup, assuming they were all shipped within the 1st 30 days Re: produced vs. shipped Almost the same thing except...in reality a specific coin or set could have been minted over a period of a few months and then started to be shipped at a later date. A collector really has no clue when the coins were "produced/minted". They only know when they are first shipped. Perfect example is the present "Limited Edition" proof set..they have been taking orders for months and most likely have minted a bunch...not "produced/minted" within the 1st 30 days BUT they will be eligible for First Strike during the 1st 30 days of shipping |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
899 Posts |
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I don't understand the interest in so-called "early release" coins. It is label marketing from TPG and not much else. The sad fact is many educated buyers still perpetuate the myth that there is something to be gained by it, and won't buy anything not labeled FS or ER. The mint did consider at one time doing some First Strike releases. A true First Strike would have been to run the presses for say a day and to gather those coins and sell them as the first run - first strike of a series. I don't believe the idea got very far - probably a logistical nightmare. Edited by Doug58s
02/17/2014 2:26 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2543 Posts |
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Re: produced vs. shipped Oh......ok.......it wasn't a question of accuracy, it was a question of semantics.  I think missed a comma and maybe a period in there too, if you want to kill me on punctuation too.  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4901 Posts |
Quote:It is label marketing from TPG and not much else. Exactly... |
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Replies: 8 / Views: 2,033 |
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Posted 02/16/2014 2:07 pm
