NGC is excited to announce the addition of the “Early Production” designation to its industry-leading lineup of releases designations. The Early Production designation is available for select coins received by NGC or an NGC-approved depository in mint-sealed packaging that is dated on or before January 31 of the coin’s year of issue.
Many customers have asked NGC to recognize early strikes from both current year and “backdated” coins. With the Early Production designation, NGC now showcases the importance and desirability of these early strikes.
Coins issued in prior years are eligible for the Early Production designation if they are still sealed in their original mint packaging with a date on or before January 31. For example, a sealed box of Mint State 1996 American Silver Eagles will be eligible for the Early Production designation if the box is dated on or before January 31, 1996.
In some cases, coins are struck and packaged prior to the coin’s year of issue. For these Early Production coins, NGC may include an additional attribution on the certification label: “Struck in [Year],” indicating the actual year in which the coin was struck. For example, a sealed box of Mint State 2012-S American Silver Eagles that is dated on or before December 31, 2011, can be attributed as “Early Production, Struck in 2011.”