Is NGC's integrity for Early Releases cut-off dates above reproach? If your answer was yes, please continue reading.

Here's the big question of the day, and I wanted to pose it for the group:

For those collectors who submit coins for Early Releases, or for that matter, even the new First Releases designations, or those who might collect coins with Early Releases labels, are you under the impression that NGC is "pretty solid" on their published deadline dates for a particular coin issue?

Here is where NGC describes it:

http://www.ngccoin.com/services/earlyreleases.aspx

I was certain that NGC's dates were firm - no wiggle-room. Notice the term I used is in the past tense.

Here's what I've recently found.

I'm doing something I rarely do, which is shedding a bit of privacy, in hopes that it's for the greater good.

The coins I submitted on the invoice in the .PDF file I included from NGC were two sets of the 25th Anniversary Silver American Eagle Sets.

The deadline for receipt for the Early Releases designation for that set was Thursday, December 8, 2011 as noted here:

http://www.ngccoin.com/news/US-Cutoff-Dates.aspx

What you will see on the invoice is that it is for ten (10) coins, Invoice Number 2570497 and that NGC received it on 12/15/2011. The date coincides with the paper invoice which was returned to me with my coins during the second week of January.

Now, since I can't upload MULTIPLE images here, I can give you two choices. You may either look up my 25th Anniversary Silver Eagle Sets (there are two sets) in the NGC Registry, and see the coins for yourself, and that they have serial numbers which match the invoice, 2570497-(001-010), as well as the Early Releases designation. If you prefer, here is the list of serial numbers, and you may simply plug them into the 'Verify NGC Certification' feature and see that they are Early Releases designation slabbed coins:

2570497-001

2570497-002

2570497-003

2570497-004

2570497-005

2570497-006

2570497-007

2570497-008

2570497-009

2570497-010

We all know that NGC doesn't give Early Releases coins extra points in the NGC Registry, but we DO know that they charge extra for the service/label, at the Modern Special Tier, rather than just the Modern Tier. We may or may not see price differences in the marketplace for Early Releases slabbed NGC coins, and collectors, for better or worse, and may or may not be willing to pay a slight premium for NGC Early Releases slabbed coins vs. a similarly graded coin in a plain brown label.

However, I don't intend this to be a debate about buying the coin vs. buying the label, many of us have strong opinions about that already, and may have even recently expressed them.

I wish to maintain focus on the INTEGRITY of NGC and the INTEGRITY of the Early Releases label from NGC.

Should something like this give us pause? Is this cause for greater concern within the greater numismatic community? Again, for better or worse, are collectors getting what they are paying for?

Before I open the floor on the subject, I just want to prepare the group that I am soon going to be opening another hot button topic about NGC. So, for now, I'll stick to the integrity of NGC's Early Releases, and see how the group feels about it.

Mike B.