FB Graded Coin Question..

The bands on the torch I would guess. It sounds like it might be a play on the split band Mercurys or Full Split Band Mercurys-FSB meaning there is complete seperation in the bands. I never though they were worth the money. Same with Full Bell lines on Franklins or split tails on Buffalos. People buy them, I suspect, because they are indicators of full strikes, which seems to be important to collectors. I could see it, maybe, if the price difference wasn't that much but it got pretty silly in 70's with prices on Split band and Full Split Band Mercurys. Then it got more silly with fully rounded full split bands. This is just a guess of what it means. FB being split bands in the torch but maybe not fully split. This is giving me migrane. I don't know why. Does the holder have FB on it?

And I wonder how many split band Mercs in the 70's became fully split bands Mercs after an Xacto knife job?

The '96-W comes fairly nice. About half are just the typical run of the mill coins that are common among clads. The other half vary from nice choice coins to incredible gems and about 2% of very nice quality with many being FB. Unless you want to own the coin encapsulated this is one of relatively few moderns that's probably easier and cheaper to find raw. Look in the 1996 mint sets and you should have a very nice specimen before about the 30th set. It will be much cheaper than a slabbed coin and there's a good chance you can even exceed the grade you desire.

This same applies to most moderns. The finest examples are in the mint sets, but usually it is cheaper and easier to find most of them already slabbed. I would not recommend that you pay a premium for a coin unless you can see and desire the difference between grades. With the uncs there is a huge spread from one grade to the next but make sure you can see it before shelling out a lot of cash.

Most of the clad dimes are scarce with FB. The earlier issues are especially tough because many dies never had this detail on them even when they were new and then they were used long after they showed heavy wear. Look at the right side of the lower set of bands. Usually they will not extend all the way to the edge.

Your getting slow CladKing. I can't believe almost 12 hours passed before you found his post.

Is there a difference between FB and FSB. I seem to recall there was a difference with Mercurys. Is FSB old terminology now?

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Originally posted by longnine009

Your getting slow CladKing. I can't believe almost 12 hours passed before you found his post.

Is there a difference between FB and FSB. I seem to recall there was a difference with Mercurys. Is FSB old terminology now?

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I've been busy building the pyramids. ;)

At least for the Roosies FSB is an obsolete term. It's not used much at alll anymore. NGC calls them Full Torch and require that all the lines in the torch are complete while PCGS calls them Full Bands and require that only the lower horizontal lines are complete. There's great overlap, especially on clads, since it's the right side of these horizontal bands that exclude most coins from the designation.

Thanks Cladking. I was looking at some dimes from change last night. It looks like that bottom band wears out pretty fast as well. I saw one, 1995, where the bottom band wasn't even there.

Funny you mentioned pyramids. I just got a token issued by the Oklahoma City Coin Club in 1958. The reverse has a Indian Thunderbird on it and the bottom part of the bird seems to be forming a pyramid.

Congrats on the dime, tpatna. Now how about a quest for that 1916-d Mercury dime?

OK. I received my 1996 Mint set in the mail today. The 1996 W Dime looks real nice. I wanted to post a picture but I cannot get my camera to focus on it because it is so small. I tried to scan it as well but the scanner just does not show the details. Maybe one day I will invest in a good camera. Thanks for every one's input.

Tim

I am glad you found one Sorry I cant find my other one