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In this article we will look at some of the different kind of coins one can find in a sample slab. It will give you an idea of what to expect when looking for sample slabs, and some of the types of coins you might find.

Let’s look at North American coins found in sample slabs first. Many people are under the impression that all sample slabs just contain unimportant coins. It’s just not the facts!

So let’s start with what coins PCGS has placed in their sample slabs: a 1961-D quartet, 1942 war nickel, a circulated 1911 Liberty five cent, a 1995 silver eagle, a no date buffalo nickel, a 1920 Lincoln penny, State quarter’s, circulated Peace dollar, a 1964- MS Kennedy, a 1978 MS 63 Ike dollar, a 2007 Presidential dollar, 1921 circulated Morgan, and even a MS 60 1884-O Morgan Dollar.

Now, from NGC, there’s sample slabs with 1922 and 1923 MS-60 Peace dollars, as well as the 1887 MS-60 and MS-63 Morgan dollars. Some 1943 Steel pennies MS-64 and MS-65 a very nice 1982-D silver George Washington Commemorative half dollar MS-66
Again the Kennedy half dollar 1964, 1965 and 1969 and more US states quarters

Then it’s ANACS and they have used a Washington quarter, a Canadian nickel MS-65, a Sacagawea dollar a Peace Medal and Ocean View Medal nickel and state quarters. I am sure I have missed many others, but time will tell as this hobby increases in popularity, and increasing it is!

Even ICG has used Presidential dollars, Kennedy Half Dollars and several different State Quarters.

So it’s obvious that these coins are not just low grade cents, nickels, quarters, etc.

I have also recently learned that sample slabs with grades, might in fact, not be the actual grade of the coin inside the holder. Furthermore, the grade was only printed on the slab to show how it would look as a normal slab with a grade. But this confused some collectors into thinking the grade on the label an accurate grade of the coins in the holder. So, it was decided, to remove the grade on the labels to clear up any more confusion.

It’s obvious that many sample slabs do contain the standard common Roosevelt Dimes and Jefferson Nickels. They can be found on EBay or at your local coin store, but even these are going up in value or soon will.

The silver Roosevelt Dimes, Kennedy Halves (1964-1970), Peace Dollars, Morgan Dollars and the 1982 George Washington Commemoratives have the advantage of being 90% silver. Sample slabs containing silver coins will sell for a higher premium do to the precious metal market, but it proves that sample slabs don’t just contain common coins without value.

There is also another kind of sample, and that is the multi-coin sample slabs and one is an example of PCGS with five of the 2003mint state quarters. NGC has use multi-coin holders as well.

Now, let’s look at some sample slabs containing World Coins.

From PCGS: There’s the Swiss ½ Frank, the first world coin to be graded by PCGS, and the 1944-S U.S Philippines sample and the 100-Yen Olympic coin from Japan.

From NGC: There’s the 1923-A German mint state 500 marks, a 1994 Mongolia 100-T, a 2002 Australian 1 Euro, a 2001 Great Britain 1P.

From ANACS: There’s a 1965 Jamaica penny, a 1970 Brazil 10- centavo, a 1965 British 1- P and a 1967 British ½- P. From ICG we have a 1959-H East Africa cent, a 1962 English penny, a 1960 England ½- penny, a 1966 Mexico 20- centavos, a 1944-Mo Mexico 5- centavos and a 1949 Israel 1-P.

I know I have missed many coins as there are included in hundreds of sample slabs, but like any type of collecting, patience is the key when trying to fins and buy sample slabs with the best coins.

They often come up on eBay or other auction sites from time to time and for some unknown reason, I have noticed that, when a hard to find sample slab shows up for sale a few more come along soon after. Now that could just be my imagination, but it just seems that way to me.

Let’s look at the one thing that affect all of us when it comes to buying any coin or sample slab and that’s prices! The truth is I have no idea how much a sample slab of one kind or another will costs at any given time.

In example, I recently saw a Second Generation, PCGS Sample Slab containing a 1963 Roosevelt Dime for a Buy It Now format at eBay. The seller was asking $185.00, and claimed the coin was naturally toned (eye appealing, toned coins bring a premium above their numismatic values).

It’s mind boggling to think that a common date, silver Roosevelt Dime, could realize a price of $185, toned or not or just because it’s housed in a Sample Slab. Is this an indication of an up-rise in Sample Slab’s values? I think so.

Watching the bidding on EBay and other auction sites, in my opinion prices are going upward, as is the amount of bidders on sample slabs. The only thing I can deduce from this is that more and more people are collecting sample slabs. It’s a recent and fast growing phenomenon.

Remember that most coins where, and still are being minted in the millions or even billions, but sample slabs are often only made in the hundreds or less, sometimes as little as twenty five can be made for a certain event or show. Some are only given to dealers and these are usually the best sample slabs. And do the these dealers sell them? Well they are out there for sale so I would have to conclude that, yes they do, more often than not.
I was recently given a beautiful John Adams One Dollar ICG sample by SmallDollars.com. These slabs where only made in a lot of 110, and on the website the break down of how these slabs where distributed is laid out like this. Only 25 where given out by ICG at the 2007 Fun show, and the remainder where given out by smalldollars.com. Now this sample is quite unique because it was designed to show the edge lettering on the coin, the first coin since 1933 to have this type of edge lettering

Now I have been collecting sample slabs for a while now, and have a small, but very nice collection. I do, however, know people who have collections in the hundreds, and they’re not selling anytime soon.

The whole point of listing all these sample slabs, and the many different coins they contain, is to give you a small glance into how many sample slabs that are or will be available to buy and collect, and that the coins are not always cheap or common.

I have come to the conclusion that collecting sample slabs, is to collect a very important part of numismatic history. I think sample slabs are becoming a new and exciting part of collecting, and more and more people are starting to enjoy the hobby. It is fun and interesting and there are hundreds of samples to collect.

As a side not, I would like to thank conder 101 for all his help and support in providing impute on this new wave of numismatic collecting of sample slabs.

These slabs where the very important so collectors could read the edge lettering

All the Best

Alan Canavan

Read Part II or Part 1 First