question on mercury dimes

I'm trying to collect high rated mercury dimes, preferably pcgs.

But, I'm pretty confused on the issue of FB or a higher rating without FB.

Say you have a MS67 coin that is not FB and a MS66 coin that IS FB.

All other things being equal, how much does the FB weigh in on your decision to buy one over the other?

 

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MS-66 and MS-67 describe the surfaces of the coins. In general, an MS-66 coin will have more contact marks, less eye appeal, etc. than an MS-67 coin.

FB (Full Bands) describes the strike. The bands on the fasces are often weakly struck because they are the highest point on the reverse and are located directly opposite Liberty. (A lot of metal has to flow into the recesses of the obverse die to strike up Liberty before the metal flows into the bands on the fasces on the reverse.)

If you look at population reports you may find that MS-67 Mercs are more common than FBs. For this reason an MS-66 FB may command a higher price than an MS-67.

So, to answer your question, FB will generally weigh more heavily than a one-point bump in grade.

 

Thank you, Hobo, for that explanation.

 

Also look at the coin , all FB Mercs are not created equal . Some will earn the FB or FSB designation with barely a full split , others will be fully split and rounded . If you buy a coin with FB on the slab look at it . if it's not fully split pass and wait for a better one .Go to Heritage and sign up , it's free and look at as many FB Mercury's as you can . Here's the link http://coins.ha.com/default.php .
Also get a book on Mercury dimes before you buy any coins . Also look at as many coins as you can at shops and shows . In the long run you'll be glad you did .
Rusty

 

Here's a link to one with barely split bands but still earned the FB designation .
http://coins.ha.com/common/view_item.php?Sale_No=131114&LotIdNo=24019

 

And heres one with better split bands .
http://coins.ha.com/common/view_item.php?Sale_No=131114&Lot_No=20068

 

The majority of serious Mercury Dime collectors want coins with full bands. Unlike some of the other strike designations, most date/mm in the Mercury Dime series are readily available with full bands. Only the 1945-P is truly rare with only 3% of the population have FB according to Lange. You will find that the non-full band coins are cheaper to buy but very difficult to sell, especially for the common dates which can easily be found with full bands.

My advice is to buy full band coins unless the price of the coin becomes cost prohibitive. For example, let's say you start with a Mercury Dime short set 1934-1945 in GEM BU+. The stopper (other than 1945-P) is the 1939-S. You can buy an MS67 for less than $200 whereas the MS65 FB will cost more than $600.

 

Can someone describe what full bands are? I clicked on the link in a previous post and looked at the pictures, but can't figure it out.

 

If you look at the reverse you will see a a bundle of sticks , There are three horizontal bands and two verticle bands , you want to look at the horizontal bands , the top and bottom ones are usually split but not always , the middle one is sometimes flat , if the bands are divided into two with the dividing line unbroken , they are considered split . I'll find a link were the middle band is not split '
Rusty

 

OP. Read Hobos post carefully.. then read Rusty's first post.. then read them again and again.. If your going to get into the high end Mercs.. before you spend a dime.. LEARN the series.. Buy the books, educate yourself, go to shows and practice grading, eye appeal etc.. THEN, start your purchasing. Also as Doug mentions slabs in this series are not apples to apples..

 

Here's a link showing one with no split in the middle band .
http://coins.ha.com/common/view_item.php?Sale_No=1154&LotIdNo=160005#Photo
Rusty

 

No lines. Full lines

 

Here is a good site that has a nice shot of a split band

http://mercurydime.net/full-split-bands-mercury-dimes/

 

Personally, I wouldn't worry about the FB designation. It's just another gimmicky feature added by the TPG's, such as FH on SLQ's, and FS on Jeff's. If you need to have the latest in gimmicks, then by all means go for it, but aside from registry set obsessed collectors, it has little to no added value.
Guy

 

My understanding has been that NGC also requires all vertical bands to be split. That said, my impression has been that the middle band _should_ be enough to dictate the other elements since that represents a high point of wear on the die. It's very unlikely that one will find a true MS FB that has a full split middle band and non-full top/bottom band (unless one of the outer pairs is impaired by a scratch or mark... which should preclude the MS grade).

Another thing I'm having an issue with on Mercs (and other "lines" definitions) is the fact that PCGS isn't even clear on what passes. At what level of magnification must the split be clear? I mean, I have coins that are split at 5x, but not at 100x. Should they pass or fail?

 

Guy , I don't know how you can say a fully struck coin the way it was designed to be is not worth the premium asked . I love Mercs and SLQs , on SLQs I want the Head to be full and all rivets and devices on the shield to be full the way H. MacNeil intended . And there is a difference in Liberties hair and face along with a full fasces strong horizontal , vertical and diagnol lines . Maybe we should do away with grading and all collect AG-3 coins , who needs to see the design .
Rusty

 

Doug , lately I've been seeing a lot of NGC coins that don't deserve the lable either . Though I agree that NGC is better at the designations , I think they're slipping . JMO
Rusty

 

Sure, who wouldn't. But not only Bowers agrees there is no such thing as a "full head" SLQ, but the people who grade them reluctantly agree as well. They designate FH by coins having slightly more detail than most, thats all. Look at the highest graded examples and you'll see, over 99% do not even have the designation, and the few that do are weak in other areas. It's a myth.
Guy