Most people with deep enough pockets would be smart enough to research what all the first strike designation entailed before making a sizable investment.
You would think, but they don't and they rely on "professional" advice/grading - just like a lawyer relies on a doctor. And, how would a TPG'er argue the case? Something like, everyone knows the "First Strike" designation means nothing? Kinda shoots themselves in the foot.
NGC and PCGS have probably have dotted their I's and crossed their T's regarding any potential legal issues regarding first strike designations after getting sued in 2006. http://coins.about.com/b/2007/08/28/ngc-settles-first-strikes-lawsuit.htm
Interesting, guess if I were that unknowledgeable collector, I'd look into whether or not that settlement prevents me from filing another complaint - I'd think it does not. Possibly that settlement, although I'm sure they did not admit to wrong doing (that's why they settled), could add fuel to a later complaint, since they continued the practice. Of course a later complaint should not settle, which may force a determination of wrong doing, which may be hard to survive.
All they do is change the wording but in reality nothing has changed and it's still business as usual........
First Strike would actually be useful if they removed the designation from any coin that gets sent in for spot removal. That way when you saw a First Strike label a few years from now you would be confident the coin has shown no tendency (yet) to develop spots, and if you were considering a non First Strike coin then you wouldn't know as much about its history. In my opinion, they should include the restoration, preservation and spot removal history when you look up a cert verification because, presumably, a coin that has developed spots could be susceptible to redeveloping them (since they blame it on the Mint). The way it is now, if you buy a coin you don't know if it was sent in for a dip last week.
Early Release...First Strike...who cares. It's all PT Barnum if you ask me. I'd say it's a self fulfilling prophecy. People see them selling for more so people that do not believe they are worth more (like some here) buy them or pay them to put that on holders and get more for them stating what they are knowing that it means nothing. Pffft, it's the sports card market all over again!
That would be nice, but I don't know, I don't think we'll see the cancellations like we did with the 2012 set, unless many do cancel to purchase the graded sets or the mint offers one or more of these coins in another set.
251,695 as of today. We should see the unaudited final tomorrow. Looks like the same players that bought the 2012 set bought this set. If the holdouts thought like I did and ordered yesterday, not wanting to risk not getting through to the mint today, maybe we won't see many orders this last day. I did order the 5oz P Perry this morning and no problem navigating the mint site.
http://www.silvertowne.com/c-694-2013-silver-eagle-west-point-2pc-sets.aspx Silvertowne has the PCGS up. Kinda surprised the West Point label sold out before the First Strike Flag label did.