I was browsing around E-bay this morning and noticed that the 2010 Lincoln Shield Cent rolls from the Springfield,Ill release ceremony with a canceled stamp on them showing the date they were obtained "First Day of Release" are having completed sales of between $15.00 and $17.00 per roll Question1: How many obtained rolls earlier than the Official release date that were available on E-bay as early as a month before the Official release date? Question 2: Out of those that obtained their rolls before the Official release date, How many of them slapped a stamp on them and took them to their local Post Office to have them hand canceled Before the Official release date? so that they would have a somewhat unique addition to their collection being the first year of a design change of one of the most collected coins (Lincoln Cent) also being able to obtain them before the Official release date. On the submissions to the third party graders they give the coins from the Official release ceremony a "First Day Release " designation What will they give the coins that were submitted and graded before the Official release? I saw and article at the NGC site about a Lincoln Shield Cent being graded before the Official release Funny how the brain works on a quiet Sunday morning and the questions that run through it I guess that is how ideas are born:hatch: LOL Stewart
I don't know if anybody can really answer your questions. You may just end up with a lot of opinions. I do know that the "First day release" designation is sort of new fad meant to differentiate coins from "First Strikes". Same coins, different designation. Both designations are somewhat controversial in coin collecting circles. If you have the rolls stamped within the first 30 days of the first release I understand that they can be labeled with the "First Strike" designation. I think the early release sales were pre-sales without the coins actually in hand. I was at the Springfield release on Feb 11th. People rushed over the the Cook street post office to have these cancellations put on each roll. Once these rolls are cracked open, how is it that the paper labels are of any value anyway? I just don't quite get that. I think that the theory is that the first runs of these coins will produce the most 69's and 70's because the dies are still new.
I remember the watching the Lincoln Log Cabin Show when they first came out. Very entertaining ebay was insane with what they were going for. My son also collects and he knew about it. when they were going for moon money on ebay him and his girlfriend ran an errand to the local Walgreen's and was given a couple in change. He politely asked if he could talk to the store manager. He asked her if she had any more coins like the ones he had just got in change. She checked the safe for him and sold him 11 rolls for face value. He was very excited to put it mildly.:hail: Stewart
No they were not pre-sales, the coins were actually delivered to the buyers well before the "official" release date. The whole point is to NOT crack them open. They only have premium value if they are left intact and you have no idea what is inside. You are not buying the coins so much as you are the whole package deal. Once you crack open the roll it's worth 50 cents. Same thing for all those Mint wrapped rolls collectors buy directly from the Mint. Pay $9 plus $5 shipping for a roll setof cents, crack them open they are worth $1.
So, how did the "early roll" coins get distributed and by whom before the official release date? Where does one purchase rolled coins except for a bank? Thanks.
I think they were distributed in Puerto Rico a month ahead of the official release date, for some reason or other. Edit: Yep In January 2010, the coins were released early in Puerto Rico[20]; this was due to a shortage of 2009-dated pennies on the island.[1] ^ Gilkes, Paul (2010-02-08). "First Circulation Reports of 2010 Cents From Puerto Rico". Coin World 51 (2600): 5. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penny_(United_States_coin)#cite_note-rico-19
On an off-note, just so that people understand how "rare" these coins are: They sold 1,000,000 of these cents at the launch ceremony. That was just the beginning! There will be hundreds of millions of these minted! This isn't like last year, where they only made a design for a few months, these are the only design for 2010. They will be everywhere in a few months! and yet... even without the postmark, (I didn't rush to the post office), I am getting over $8/roll for them on eBay. People feel compelled to have them right now and they're willing to pay a huge premium for that honor. Why? I haven't a clue, but bless their hearts, they paid for a fun day off work for me!
