Probably not but I listed 12 coins that really are Early Release Coins.

Well the New Year's Day is here. I hope everyone reading this has a wonderful, happy, and prosperous new year! Personally, 2011 was a wild roller coaster ride and I am not just talking about the precious metals market. Fortunately, everyone in family is well, there is still a roof over our head and there is still food on the table so in hind sight I guess 2011 goes in the good year column. My coin collection grew in fits and spurts but it grew. I even managed to score a couple of very nice big coins at some small prices. I've pretty much decided I'm a contrarian collector. I really love collecting just regular coins, you know the tried and true stalwarts of minted coins that end up in Mr. and Mrs. America's pockets. And even then, there are some coins that just don't seem to catch my interest. I won't chase the hot fads or coins of the day opting rather for those that tend to get overlooked in the feeding frenzy. Of course I refer to the 5 oz ATB bullion coins and even more so to the 25th anniversary ASE $1 bullion coins. I'm still trying to wrap my arms around the concept of bullion coins. I always saw coins as being put into circulation or to at least have the premise that they could be put in circulation. (Yes, I know the ASE could potentially be put into circulation but why, given the plethora of other one dollar denomination vehicles out there. The mint produced 5 dollar coins for circulation and the Federal Reserve still has the paper dollar out there.) But all of that is really neither here nor there.

In just looking through my collection the other day, I noticed I had an incredible variety of labels. I'd never really noticed before and honestly it doesn't bother me at all. Let's face it, a PF70UC coin is a PF70UC coin. I collect coins not labels. Oh sure, some of the labels are pretty cool looking. I really liked the idea of the First Day Issue and First Day Ceremony labels that NGC came up with for the 2009 Lincoln Centennial Cents but by the same token I quickly pulled the MS66 FDI Lincoln Cent out of my set in favor of a regular brown label MS67. Of course, the label game is not confined to NGC, PCGS has their "fancy" labels too. Again, it really makes no difference to me as long as the coin in the slab matches the grade. I guess I am label ambivalent and there has to be the right combination of both price and grade for me to by a coin. I guess that's pretty much why I only buy NGC and PCGS coins. I have started looking at some other slabs with hopes of getting a decent crossover but I still do not feel comfortable enough with my high-end grading abilities to pull the trigger!

All of the journal discussion of late about labels really got me to thinking of late. What truly is an early release? With a chuckle, I wondered what difference it made if a PF70 coin was minted on the very first set of dies or were the first ones minted on a new set of dies half way through the production run. The label certainly doesn't make the coins any different. Then it occurred to me, there really are some very classic examples of early releases that absolutely would be worthy of that label. So I set out to make a list of coins I considered true early releases.

1 -- 1793 Chain Reverse Large Cent -- (Reverse Changed to Wreath after Initial Run)

2 -- 1909 S VDB Lincoln Cents -- (VDB Removed after Initial Run)

3 -- 1909 VDB Lincoln Cents -- (VDB Removed after Initial Run)

4 -- 1864 Two Cent Piece -- (Changed to Large Motto after Initial Run)

5 -- 1883 Liberty Head Nickel -- (Added Cents to the Reverse after Initial Run)

6 -- 1913, 13D, 13S Indian Head/Buffalo Nickel -- (Changed Reverse Buffalo Platform after Initial Run)

7 -- 1837 Liberty Seated Dime -- (Changed Date Size after Initial Run)

8 -- 1917, 17D, 17S Standing Liberty Quarter -- (Changed the Dress Style after Initial Run)

9 -- 1796 Draped Bust Half Dollar -- (Added a Star to the Obverse after Initial Run)

10 -- 1964 Kennedy Half Dollar -- (Changed the Hair after Initial Run)

11 -- 1795 Draped Bust Silver Dollar -- (Centered Bust after Initial Run)

12 -- 1878 Morgan Silver Dollar -- (Went to 7 Tail Feathers from 8 after Initial Run)

Now these twelve coins truly represent early releases. There are very clear and discernable differences from later runs. All of the dates are early in the life of the coin. If you want to expand the definition by each year rather than each coin, there are many more examples. Can any one of us really say that there is any difference between a 2011 Early Release and a 2011 mid production release other than the day it got shipped to our mailboxes?

Lastly, I wonder whether or not I should have a special label on this journal entry. It is the first one I've posted this year. So to begin 2012, I will leave you with a picture of a fairly nice, true early release. Have an awesome New Year everyone!

Dennis