The following Press Release comes from Numismatic Guaranty Corporation, or NGC, on the availability of special label inserts for the upcoming 2020 Basketball Hall of Fame commemorative coins. This comes after the grading company announced an exclusive signature label with the commemoratives Reverse designer Donna Weaver.
Numismatic Guaranty Corporation® (NGC®) is celebrating the April 4 release of the 2020 Basketball Hall of Fame Commemorative Coins with a vibrant special label offered for free to all submitters.
NGC will also offer its popular Early Releases and First Releases designations as well as a new special designation — Tip Off Releases — to capture the excitement surrounding the release of these highly anticipated coins. Basketball coins received within the first week of release will be eligible for the Tip Off Releases designation, and coins received within the first 30 days of release will be eligible for either the Early Releases or First Releases designation.
Other than Olympic coins and a few coins recognizing individual players, the US Mint has struck only one other coin commemorating a Big Three American pastime — the 2014 Baseball Hall of Fame Commemorative Coin, which proved to be one of the Mint’s most popular releases in recent years. The mintage of 50,000 gold and 400,000 silver coins quickly sold out.
Like the baseball coins, the 2020 Basketball Hall of Fame Commemorative Coins will be dome-shaped, reminiscent of the shape of a basketball. The only other curved coins that the US Mint has produced were the 2019 Apollo 11 50th Anniversary Commemorative Coins, another hugely successful release.
The 2020 Basketball Hall of Fame Coins will be issued in three denominations: a clad half dollar, a silver dollar and a gold five dollars. The coins will only be struck in 2020, with a portion of each coin’s purchase price going to the James Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame to support its operations and educational programs.
NGC has signed an exclusive signature label deal with James P. Naismith, James Naismith’s last surviving grandson and namesake. For more information about the NGC James P. Naismith Authentic Hand-Signed Labels, click here.
The design for the common obverse of the coin was selected in a national contest. The winning design conveys the inclusive nature of basketball, a game that is played and loved by people the world over. For the common reverse, the Mint chose US numismatic artist Donna Weaver to execute the design. Her elegant depiction of a ball passing through the net was immediately praised for perfectly capturing the essence of the game.
NGC has signed an exclusive signature label deal with Donna Weaver. For more information about the NGC Donna Weaver Authentic Hand-Signed Labels, click here.
To ensure the fastest availability to collectors and fans, basketball coins encapsulated with NGC’s Donna Weaver and James P. Naismith Authentic Hand-Signed Labels will be available exclusively from select retailers immediately after the coins’ release.
Adding to the excitement, a portion of the half dollar and silver dollar basketball coins will be the first colorized coins ever offered by the US Mint. To recognize this historic innovation in US coinage, NGC will give these coins a special attribution. The colorized coins will be released after the rest of the coins go on sale April 4.
Submission Instructions
- Submit the 2020 Basketball Hall of Fame Commemorative Coins under the Modern grading tier or higher.
- Select Double Thick Holder (+$5) for the silver dollar.
- All coins submitted must be graded.
- If you would like Mint packaging returned, select the “Return Mint Packaging” box on the NGC Submission Form. The fee is $5 plus the cost of shipping.
The following designations are available for the 2020 Basketball Hall of Fame Commemorative Coins:
| Designation options | Fee | Directions |
|---|---|---|
| No designation | Free | By default |
| Tip Off Releases | +$12 | On the US submission form, write Tip Off Releases in bold letters. See cut-off dates here. |
| Early Releases | +$12 | On the US submission form, select Early Releases under Box 7. See cut-off dates here. |
| First Releases | +$12 | On the US submission form, select First Releases under Box 7. See cut-off dates here. |
The following labels are available for the 2020 Basketball Hall of Fame Commemorative Coins:
| Label options | Fee | Directions |
|---|---|---|
NGC Basketball Hall of Fame #1422 | Free | By default (The Tip Off Releases, Early Releases and First Releases designations are also available with this label for an additional $12 fee, if applicable.) |
Early Releases #378 | Included with fee for Early Releases designation (+$12) | Select Early Releases and enter Early Releases #378 on your submission form. Otherwise, the NGC Basketball Hall of Fame Special Label #1422 will be used. |
First Releases #379 | Included with fee for First Releases designation (+$12) | Select First Releases and enter First Releases #379 on your submission form. Otherwise, the NGC Basketball Hall of Fame Special Label #1422 will be used. |
NGC Standard Brown #377 | Free | Enter Standard Brown Label #377 on your submission form. |
Questions? Contact NGC Customer Service at service@NGCcoin.com or 1-800-NGC-COIN (1-800-642-2646).
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