NGC graded GSA Soft Pack Styles

[lewisr2]

The statement “Buy the coin not the holder” Is one we have heard many times, and in most cases it is true. However, in my case, I not only bought the holder and the coin I bought two holders and the coin. The two holders are: (1) an NGC semi-rigid clear plastic case containing (2) a soft plastic sleeve with a white GSA token and a silver dollar. The package containing the token and silver dollar are called a GSA soft pack. The GSA soft pack contains a Morgan silver dollar minted in San Francisco in 1878.

NGC began holdering and grading the GSA soft packs back in 2008. As of November 2020, the NGC census shows 22 1878-S GSA soft packs have been holdered and graded.
63 62 61 60 58 55 53 50 45 40 VF F VG G AG
2 6 2 2 1 1 0 1 1 0 2 1 1 1 1
PCGS holders and grades the GSA soft packs; so far, no PCGS 1878-S GSA soft packs. Currently ANACS does not holder and grade GSA soft packs.

When I saw the NGC first style holder pictured below, I noticed that this was a different style holder from the current NGC style. I searched the Internet for NGC GSA soft packs and noticed another different style; the second style. The third style is the current NGC style. The overwhelming majority I saw were the current style with only a few of the first and second style. The first and second style are not rare, and maybe not even be scarce, but they certainly are not common. I have pictured the three styles in the order I think they were holdered and graded. I ordered them by the amount of information that was listed on the holders.

Searching the Internet. I found 13 of the first style and 7 of the second style. The first style has three soft packs with same ID number; all three are graded Details, and two other soft packs that have the same ID number. The second style was very surprising; of the seven, five have the same ID number with sequence numbers 001, 002, 003, 004, 005. The other two have the same ID number with sequence number 002 and 009.

You may have noticed that these three NGC GSA soft pack styles are all 1878-S. I am a collector of 1878-S Morgan dollar VAMs, so I specifically chose 1878-S as examples. Over the years I have owned four GSA soft packs. I currently have two; they are pictured below as the First Style and the Third Style.

[tmanhg]

Nice Lewis. Congrats!

[bigjayvee]

WTG Lew !!!!!!

[vamnuke]

[VamHelsing]

Hmm, will have to look out for these now! Thanks for the info!

[vampicker]

Checked, my 78-CC soft packs - they all turned out to be Type 3. I'll have to look for examples in the earlier styles

[PacificWR]

Very nice.

[lewisr2]

I emailed and phoned NGC awhile back to find out if I could talk to someone about these different styles on NGC holders.
They were less than friendly and not interested in helping me at all.
I guess NGC, like the rest of us, are stressed because of COVID.
A collector friend indicated that NGC was helpful for him.
I guess I will have to wait a few months until the COVID situation improves.
Any suggestions on getting a response from NGC?