NGC Sample Slab

Veep

The plain nature of this slab makes me think it’s an earlier issue. Is this anything of special interest to slab collectors? —Thanks

BStrauss3

199998- and 199999- were used by NGC for dozens of samples. Seems pretty ordinary, right? Mint state silver dime. Green label which _are _the earlier ones.

Except it's not in the catalog. It's not listed at https://www.SampleSlabs.com/ngc.html

Can you send or post a reverse photo and is it OK if I steal this?

Veep

Steal away. Here’s the reverse:

johnny9434

i like

Veep

Bumping this to see if there’s a fresh audience with any further insight.

rte592

I'm a fresh audience and In light of the new information, I like the slab a little more
Probably not the insight you are looking for but nice sample slab.
Would the numbers be an indicator of the distribution years?

BStrauss3

@rte592 said:
Would the numbers be an indicator of the distribution years?

No. NGC reused 199998 and 199999 many times for samples across a variety of different iterations of their labels and holders.

The hologram dates to generation 4.0.

Check out John's OldSlabHolders.com site for the generations listing. https://oldslabholders.com/ngc-slab-generations

What we have never been able to nail down is the green vs. brown label color.

Most sample slab evidence points to green being an experiment that died a quiet death. For example, the Liberty V Nickel slabs - there is evidence that the 199998- cert# series was used for 2 sets in green and 11 sets in brown.

Or it could be fading of a non-color fast dye (like the PCGS green labels that are known to have faded to blue or yellow). The evidence in favor of that is the existence of muddy-grey labels that are clearly not green nor brown.

Veep

Thanks for the added info!

jesbroken

While not a sample here is a NGC holder currently on EBAY that appears to be the same color. There are a couple of sample in a greenish colored NGC holder, but not exact and with regular #'s. Have nothing to do with seller.
Jim

BStrauss3

Exactly. You will find similar cert#s with brown labels and with the muddy gray.

Now cert#s are not exactly sequential - there are indications that they were issued in batches on the paper forms.

I personally think the muddy gray are faded browns and the greens are separate. In part because there are known to be greens in Gen 3 holders ...

as well as Gen 4

and gen 5 like @jesbroken above.

From John's OSH:

JBK

Here is my own older NGC sample slab.

I'm not sure if this counts as the brown or muddy-grey label. The slab has been kept out of the light in fairly consistent storage conditions, and I am the first/only owner, aside from the company that gave these away as advertisements.

BStrauss3

Yours and honestly my example above are really just light brown. I'll have to look for a better examplr of the grey (and it doesn't photograph well).

JohnnyCache

TomB

My opinion is that all the color iterations on these slabs are examples of die or pigment degradation. I've seen them on both NGC 3 and NGC 4 series holders housing both sample slabs and regular issue slabs. They remind me of the color variation that can be seen on many PCGS OGH certs.

BStrauss3

Could be both, Tom.

There are green examples in the Liberty Nickel sample hoard that were stored in the same closet as the brown ones until the hoard was dispersed 4 years ago.

Maybe that's the difference between the brilliant green and the lesser greens.

Kind of why some of the PCI inserts and/or labels tone coins. And some don't. Even though Insider says they were all sourced from the same supplier.

I doubt we'll ever know.

TomB

I agree that it is unlikely we will know unless those who were at NGC at the time and were involved in their distribution have records or recollections that they can share. Again, my opinion is just that, an opinion, and I am completely open to the possibility of being wrong.

BStrauss3

@Veep : NGC-010-2-10