PCGS kept my boxes etc....hmmmm

notwilight

Hello. This is my first post. I'm a casual collector for many years and have a few old coins and a few nice moderately aged coins that are graded MS 6x and a bunch of new US mint stuff that an aging friend just couldn't seem to help himself when holidays came around...oh yeah, I have a couple of modern coins with the design painted on or stamped on in nice colors. I'm sure that impresses some of you...:-)

So I bought 10 of a certain modern proof that shall remain nameless lest we get the "Cool, another .... thread" reply which is rapidly becoming old. I'm going through a nasty divorce and the profits from this endeavor will pay the mortgage for a couple of months, I hope.

To get the perhaps meaniless but valuable (at least on Ebay) first strike designation I called PCGS customer service and asked all the rules. The lady told me to send it in the original container with my hot little $10 and they would call it a "First Strike". I said, "So I'll just put the PVC holder in the Mylar Flip" and she said, "No, send in the original container and it has to be unopened". I said, "You mean the blue box" and she said yes.

You can guess the rest of the story. Got the graded coins back in the normal blue plastic box, no sign of my original boxes. I called up and the guy said, "Hmmmm, don't know why anybody would have told you that. Sorry."

Now I've got buyers who want the boxes, certificates of authenticity, etc.

Any ideas?

Anybody sold any and didn't need to provide the boxes etc and want to help a newbie/make a few bucks? I could trade you a shiney new silver piece of some sort. :-)

Thanks,
Jerry

relayer

I believe the First Strike labels are only for MS coins, not proofs.

When you sent the original US Mint boxes containing your Buffalo proofs, they removed them from the box and took the coin out of the capsule and discarded the Mint box.

I think the mis-communication was you were talking proofs and PCGS was talking First Strike MS Buffalos.

WTCG

Welcome to the message boards.

There is a disclaimer as stated somewhere on your PCGS submission form that tells you that packaging materials will not be returned to you. The "first strike" coins are only relevant to the MS coins, and not proofs. The MS coins were packaged in soft plastic wrapping while only the proof coins were sold in a presentation case.

BECOKA

I learned my lesson on my first submission a couple of years ago. Ever since I include a note to return the original mint box and coin capsules. (They actually will send them back)

You can try calling again to see if they would be willing to save a couple of boxes from another submition (Doubtful). Although they would probably charge shipping.

In most cases when you sell the coins in PCGS slabs on e-bay they would never ask for the original boxes. I have sold over 1000 PCGS slabbed coins on e-bay and not one person has asked for the mint boxes.

lordmarcovan

Sorry for the divorce and box woes. Having been through the former of the two, I don't envy you.

notwilight

Thanks for the good wishes and advice. The divorce is much better than any of the alternatives...I'll call them again and ask them to save some boxes...and I did know about the policy not to send anything back so I should have clarified further.

--Jerry

mfcobra

<< <i>I believe the First Strike labels are only for MS coins, not proofs. >>



Not true. Proofs can get First Strike designations just as EASILY as MS coins.

tmot99

In that you have your coins back from PCGS, can you please post a picture of the entire slab with the "First Strike" designation for a proof coin. I think others would like to see it.

XpipedreamR

They probably look a lot like these:

tmot99

There you go. Proof that there is a First Strike Proof.

JrGMan2004

I think they're doing the First Strike for Proofs now, b/c NGC has been doing First Strikes on Proofs and UNCs