First I read this thread and it got me started. http://www.cointalk.org/showthread.php?p=290293#post290293 Honestly, I never really paid that close of attention to terms like "early release" and "first strike". I don't go out of my way to buy coins like that. Hell, I own very few slabs period. So since I'm too lazy to really check into these types of "claims" by TPGs what are they labeling these and CAN they prove it? I've already emailed NGC about this and, unless someone can really back them or any other TPG up on this I shall continue. Thoughts? Input?
Heck, why stop with that ? How do we know that a certain coin was owned by the king of Siam or whoever ? Are we supposed to believe it is because Joe McGuilicutty signed off on it ?
You know Joe McGuilicutty too? Great guy! I'm kind of on a roll now as it were Roto. Just questioned that myself on the other thread. Basically I stated that a dog's pedigree is more thorough than an "early release". I'm sure many wil agree and many will slam me. Either way the subject is out (again as I'm sure I'll hear as well) and I won't lose any sleep.
I personally have no interest in the First Strike thing; I think it's nothing more than artificially creating a market. For those who are interested, more power to 'em. How can one tell that one's great-grandfather owned a certain coin ? Eye-witness testimony. One trusts it, others might not. Same for the King of Siam thing. For most coins, it's not possible to know where they've been. But singular rarities, like the King of Siam set, change hands very seldom. Such transactions are very high-profile, so it is possible to trace the pedigree. Some coins have unique minor features, such as a planchet flake or lint mark which serve as pedigree markers. For major collections (i.e. Eliasberg), the coins are certified when the collection is broken up, so the slab provides pedigree ID. A while back someone had a thread asking whether such a coin has special meaning. As for me... ... to each his own.
If two coins are the same price and grade and one is in a First Strike holder, all things being equal that's the one you probably should buy because there's a good chance that it will command at least a small premium in the future and probably will never be worth less than an ordinary slab. But it's a gimmick.
