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SEGS started up in 1998 and featured a submission protocol much like ICG. The coins are first taken out by a
third party company and flipped/barcoded before being sent into the company so that the graders and sealers
would not know who submitted them. Their slab features a top label like the earlier Compugrade slab which
helped with the identification of a particular coin within a slab box. You don’t need to pull the slab
out to see the label.
SEGS 1
So far two types of coins have shown up in SEGS sample slabs. The first is SEGS 1 with a MS-65 Red
1955-S Lincoln cent inside. The word “Sample” can be seen right below the date in small
letters. The coin is a nice MS-65 and conservatively graded. The few Lincoln cent samples I have seen
all have the MS-65 grade and it appears that they might have put one flat grade on a whole roll of
Lincolns or the entire production of samples. The lowest grade might have been MS-65 in the roll. This
is the only sample SEGS has graded.
SEGS 2
The first of the State Quarter sample slabs has a 1999-P Pennsylvania quarter. The line where the grade
would appear has “NG” which stands for No Grade. Below is “Sample Holder.”
“Sample Holder” is only known to be on Pennsylvania samples, since with the next State
Quarter sample, SEGS changed the inscription.
SEGS 2.1
"Very similiar to SEGS 2, this slab has "Sample" below "NG" instead of
"Sample Holder."
SEGS 2.2
This slab was recently discovered and suprised me when I saw it. It has a numerical grade instead of
"NG" and has "Holder Sample" instead of "Sample Holder." I don't know if
this slab goes before or after NGC 2 since it has the exact same quarter inside. I have only seen one of
these so far, but wouldn't be suprised if more showed up over the next year. Look closely on your SEGS
sample slabs. "Holder Sample" and "Sample Holder" looks almost the same. The easiest
way to tell is with the numerical grade above.
SEGS 2.3
This sample has "Holder Sample" instead of "Sample Holder" like SEGS 2, and also
has "NG" instead of a grade.
SEGS 3
SEGS 3 has a Connecticut, South Carolina, Massachusetts or New Hampshire State quarter inside. The
label says “sample only” with the “NG” designation like SEGS 2 to the right.
Below are the words “Not Consensus Graded.”
SEGS 3.1
This sample has the same type of coin and label as SEGS 3 but the difference is the space between
“NG” and “Not Consensus Graded.”
SEGS 4
In 2001, SEGS again changed their sample slab label. “Sample Only” is changed to
“SEGS Sample” and the NG designation is eliminated. “Statehood Quarter” is
placed where the grade would go. Newer State quarters with other inscriptions may be out there and the
State Quarters actually make it easier to identify when a particular slab was made since most of the
larger services place the latest State quarter in their newest sample slab.
SEGS 5
These were passed out at the SEGS table during the National Silver Dollar Rountable which is a coin
show dedicated to just silver dollars. (ANACS 6.2 and ICG 21 also have the same pedigree to this show).
SEGS 6
In 2003 SEGS began making samples again after a short lull and put the name of the theme for the
quarter below the State name. This one is "Musical Heritage."
SEGS 6.1
"Helen Keller"
SEGS 7
As soon as the new nickel came out in March of 2004, SEGS was the first service to make a sample with
it inside. I don't know how many were made but with the new nickel in a sample it should prove to be
popular with both collectors and non sample collectors alike.
SEGS 7.1
The label layout has been changed but the same type of coin is used. Following ICG’s lead, SEGS
added “Not for re-sale” below the usual “NG” designation. This type was given
out at the 2004, ANA Summer convention in Pittsburgh, PA.
SEGS 7.2
This type has the Keel Boat nickel inside. The quotation marks from the words “Lewis and
Clark” are removed and placed over the words “Sample – Not For Sale” which was
changed from SEGS’s 7.1 “Not For Resale”.
SEGS 8
This sample has the newest 2006-P Nickel inside. The company name is put on the label along with
“Sample-Not For Resale” along the same lines of ICG’s wording.