With the change of design in 2021 do you feel that the 2020 will carry any value in a slab or from the US Mint as Proof or Burnished? I was going to add some gold this year and was questioning if it was worth an extra $100 or $150 to get a coin in a slab or wait to get the 1st coin with the new design. With coins is the first in the series usually the better bet or the last in a series?
If it turns out to be an exciting or very desirable coin you can bet they will be issued using a method that is cost prohibitive to the general collector. They will be released in such a manner that only large dealers can get them. And remember, the US Mint will be manufacturing them in the fall of 2020 to be released later. Therefore First Strike and Early Release will mean very little to most collectors.
When the US Mint produces coins early, like they usually do, the product goes into storage (inventory) and stays there until release. Sometimes the coins are produced during the previous year. The inventory will be First In - Last Out. There is no way to know when a coin was struck. So, anyone who gets one of these with the First Strike or Early Issue labels is getting an untraceable coin and paying for the label. Some collectors don't care, but those who understand the process will not have much interest in the label.
This has been true for the silver eagles since 2005 but apparently that hasn't bothered all the people willing to spend higher prices for "First Strikes" whose actual time of striking can't be determined, just because of the labels.
