These days as in the past a different colored cap or plastic case is added to the machine when the clear cased strikes are loaded. The different colored cases are sort of considered chaser or chase strikes. As a collector you want these in your collection along with what ever is in the clear cases. Clear cased strikes these days are all common with mintage's of at least 1750. As where the blue and red have much lower mintage's. The newer blue cases strikes are clad just like the clear cased strikes. But the strikes inside the red cases are made of .999 silver inserts inside a brass ring. The insert weighs in at .5 or a half ounce of silver.

Hope this helps,
Dennis
SS-094
R-8000