In addition to the grade of a coin stated as Mint state (MS) on circulation strike coins and Proof (PR/PF) on Proof strikes your coins may have the additional notations.

These are terms used for Proof strike coins. In order for a coin to be considered a Cameo or Deep Cameo, both sides of the coin must meet a minimum benchmark for each designation. If only one side of coin attains this benchmark the coin is considered to be Cameo, if both sides of the coin attain the benchmark it is considered Deep Cameo.

Coin dealers and grading services may use these terms in varying ways. Some base their use on the dates appearing on United States Mint product packaging or packing slips, or on the dates of product releases or ceremonial coin strike events. Consumers should carefully review the information below along with each dealer's or grading service's definition of “First Day of Issue”, "First Strike", “First Release" or “Early Releases” when considering a purchase of coins with these designations.
The United States Mint does not designate any coins or products as “First Day of Issue”, "First Strikes", “First Release” or "Early Releases," nor do they track the order in which the coins were minted. The mint strives to produce coins of consistently high quality throughout the course of production. This means that coins may be minted from new die sets at any point and at multiple times while production of a coin is ongoing, not just the first day or at the beginning of production.
United States Mint products are not individually numbered and they do not keep track of the order or date of minting of individual coins. Any dates on shipping boxes are strictly for quality control and accounting purposes at the United States Mint. The date on the box represents the date that the box was packed, verified and sealed, and the date of packaging does not necessarily correlate with the date of manufacture. To qualify for “First Day of Issue”,  coins must be purchased within one day of the first day that a mint makes a new coin issue available for sale and must be received by a grading service or approved depository within one week of the release date. The grading service will require that the submitter provide adequate evidence (including purchase receipts) to demonstrate the date when the coins were purchased. “First Strike”, “First Release” or “Early Releases” status a coin must be submitted to an independent “third-party” coin grading service within the first 30-days of their release.
Coin grading services will sometimes attribute First Day of Issue coins according to the specific US Mint location where they were purchased. For example, the designation "FIRST DAY - PHILADELPHIA" on the certification label refers to a First Day of Issue coin purchased at the Philadelphia Mint. Other designations include "FIRST DAY - DENVER" (a First Day of Issue coin purchased at the Denver Mint) and FIRST DAY - WASHINGTON (a First Day of Issue coin purchased at the US Mint store in Washington, DC). These attributions have the same definition and requirements as the standard First Day of Issue designation along with the additional requirement that the submitter provide adequate evidence (including purchase receipts) to demonstrate the location where the coins were purchased. These attributions relate solely to the US Mint location where the coins were purchased and not where they were struck.

The grade on the holder is the most important factor. A coin certified perfect MS70 will always command a higher premium than the same coin certified in a lesser grade like MS69, no matter what identifying mark is stated on the labels.

The coin market is not only driven by supply and demand, but also by the idea of the exceptional. Collectors believe in the power of firsts, exclusivity and limited editions. This lead to the advent of two types of labels – open to the public and closed to the public dealer proprietary labels.

The best known open to the public labels are PCGS First Strikes and NGC Early Releases. Collectors only have a short time window from the release date of a coin for it to qualify for certification with the First Strike or Early Releases designation. Dealer Proprietary labels are not open to the public and can only be submitted for certification by the authorized dealer. They also have short time requirements for certification.

Time sensitive dealer proprietary labels include ANACS First Day of Issue, First Release and Original strike coins. These labels also have the added exclusivity and prestige of being certified limited editions. The importance of limited editions in the collector market can’t be overstated . Other popular dealer proprietary labels, without time restrictions for submission, are Bridge labels, Blue bridge labels, Canada labels, Country labels, Eagle labels and USRC labels.

Premium labels have aesthetically attractive holders that appeal to a wide cross-section of collectors and invite brand loyalty. We provide access to coins certified with all of these special labels and others like Top 50 Modern coins and 100 Greatest U.S. Modern coins. However, we don’t own a proprietary label.

Use common sense; if an offer looks too good to be true then it probably is. You can reduce your risk by finding an established coin dealer who has been in business for a long time and who works from an established office or storefront location. Limit your purchases to certified coins graded by industry leading coin grading services such as ANACS, NGC and PCGS. Shop around and compare prices and ask about the dealers return policy.